Celery seed is a spice used in salads, sauces, dressings, brines, and dry rubs. It can be bought as both whole seed and ground. It looks like a small, dark brown seed about the size of a poppy seed. It becomes a fine, dark greenish-brown powder when it is ground. Celery seed is a spice made from the seeds of wild celery, which grows in wet places and has a stronger flavor than the celery you buy at the store.
Celery Seeds are the seeds of the smallage plant, also called wild celery (Apium graveolens). Celery seed adds flavor to some stews, salads, and pickles. The seed has a very strong taste, so only a small amount should be used.
Celery is a member of the Umbelliferous family, including carrots, parsley, and fennel. Modern celery originated from wild celery native to the Mediterranean, where its seeds were once highly valued as a medicine.
What is Celery Seed?
Celery seed is a spice made from wild celery seeds related to the supermarket celery. Wild celery has a stronger flavor than regular celery, so it is usually only used for its seeds, which are used to make celery seed spice. Even though they are small, celery seeds are the whole, dried fruit of the wild celery plant.
Celery seed is the seed of a plant that is closely related to celery and is grown just for its fragrant and tasty seeds. It is used in spice mixes worldwide and can be bought on its own, both whole and ground. Like other plants in the Apiaceae family, celery seed smells and tastes strongly of celery and has a hint of spice. People who want to eat it should order the food-grade version.
Celery seed can be grown at home anywhere that celery will grow. It needs a long, cool growing season and only some sun, just like celery. The plant can’t handle frost, and it likes soil that is moist and full of potassium. It also needs to be fertilized every so often with compost or manure, and it needs soil that drains well.
Celery Seed vs. Celery Salt
Celery salt is another celery-based spice you can usually find in the spice aisle. It often has celery seed, but celery salt and celery seed differ.
Celery salt is just two parts salt and one part ground celery seed mixed (although it is sometimes made using an equivalent amount of dried and ground celery root or celery leaves). Celery salt is a standard part of the traditional recipe for a Bloody Mary. It is also a great addition to many other foods, like potato salad, coleslaw, popcorn, french fries, and corn on the cob. Dried celery flakes are another spice made from celery. They are usually made from celery roots or celery stalks that have been dried out.
What does it Taste Like?
Celery seed tastes like raw celery stalks, which are aromatic and have a bit of a bite. The seeds also have a savory, earthy flavor and a bitter taste that strengthens when the spice is ground instead of used whole. Because celery seed is astringent (like mustard or onion), too much of it can make you feel like you’re on fire.
Whole vs. Ground Celery
The seeds are ground up to make powdered celery, making it easier to use in sauces, smoothies, and other dishes where you might not want the crunch of whole seeds.
You can find ground celery seed in the spice aisle at the grocery store. But because grinding it makes the volatile oils in the seeds evaporate quickly, it’s better to buy whole celery seed and grind it in a spice grinder at home if you want to use ground celery seed. Whole celery seed will keep its best taste for up to six months, and ground celery seed for about half that long or less.
Celery salt and other spice mixes contain ground celery seed. This spice is often used in both French and Cajun cooking. The ground seed is sold on its own so that cooks can make their spice mixes. Cooks should buy seeds in their whole form and grind them as needed. For the best flavor, keep the ground or whole seeds in a cool, dry place and use them within six months.
What are the Benefits of Celery Seeds?
Celery is a common vegetable, but this plant is more than just the stalk. Less common than other seeds, celery seeds are still tasty and good for you. They are small and light brown. They smell like dirt. Their taste is bitter and warm. Celery seeds have been used in Eastern medicine for a very long time to treat things like bronchitis, skin problems, and the flu.
Celery seeds are most often used as a spice in cooking today. But they can also be taken as a supplement, as an extract, or as a capsule. Even though they are small, celery seeds are very nutritious and good for your health in many ways.
Here are six surprising ways that celery seeds can help you.
Support Bone Health
To stay healthy and strong, your bones need different amounts of certain vitamins and minerals. Many of these important nutrients can be found in celery seeds. Calcium is one of the best-known minerals for bone health. Twelve percent of the RDI for this mineral can be found in one tablespoon (6.5 grams) of the seeds. When you don’t get enough calcium for a long time, your body pulls calcium from your bones to compensate for it. This could lower the number of minerals in a certain volume of bone, which is a measure of bone mineral density.
Fractures are more likely to happen in older adults with bones with less mineral density. Some studies show that getting more calcium may make you less likely to break a bone. Celery seeds also have a lot of manganese, a mineral not many people know about. One tablespoon (6.5 grams) of the seeds has 27 percent of the RDI, which is a lot. Manganese is needed to turn on enzymes that make proteins needed for bone and cartilage to grow. So, it helps the structure and strength of bones. Celery seeds also have phosphorus and magnesium in them. These two minerals help cells called osteoblasts build bone. If your body doesn’t get enough of these nutrients, it could cause long-term bone diseases like osteoporosis.
Promote Red Blood Cell Formation
Iron is an important mineral that is needed to make red blood cells. These red blood cells carry oxygen from your lungs to other body parts. Both men and women can get a lot of iron from celery seeds. One tablespoon (6.5 grams) of celery seeds gives women 17 percent of their RDI and men 38 percent of theirs.
Iron deficiency is the most common micronutrient deficiency in the world. If you don’t eat enough iron, your body won’t be able to make enough red blood cells. As a result, you may develop iron-deficiency anemia. Still, studies have shown that eating more iron-rich foods can lower your risk of iron deficiency and the resulting anemia.
Non-heme iron is in celery seeds. This type of iron differs from the heme iron found in animal products, and only about 10% of it is absorbed. Vitamin C makes it easier for non-heme iron in plant foods like celery seeds to be absorbed into the body. Eating seeds with vitamin C-rich foods like berries, citrus fruits, or bell peppers can help your body absorb non-heme iron better.
May Improve Blood Sugar Levels
Magnesium does many things in your body, like lowering blood sugar. Keeping your blood sugar levels healthy is important to lower your risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Celery seeds are a great way to get magnesium. One tablespoon (6.5 grams) of celery seeds gives you 12 percent of the RDI.
Magnesium is a key part of controlling blood sugar and helps your cells respond better to insulin, a hormone that controls blood sugar levels.
Eating foods like celery seeds high in magnesium may make you less likely to get type 2 diabetes. One large study found a link between diets high in magnesium and a 14 percent lower risk of diabetes.
May Fight Bacteria
Celery seed extract might be able to kill bacteria. For example, one test-tube study showed that celery seed extract killed H. pylori bacteria, which can cause stomach ulcers and are found in some people’s digestive tracts.
In another study, the antibacterial effects of celery seed extract were seen against the same types of bacteria, yeast, and mold. So, researchers think an extract from the seeds could be a natural way to keep food fresh. But these benefits haven’t been tried out on people yet.
May have Antioxidant Properties
There may also be antioxidants in celery seed extract. Antioxidants are substances that stop free radicals and molecules from damaging cells. To stay in good health, your body needs a good balance of antioxidants and free radicals.
Few studies have been done, but those that have been done have shown that celery seed extract has antioxidant properties. Celery seeds may have something to do with this since they have polyphenols. Polyphenols are good substances found in some plant foods. In larger studies, polyphenol-rich diets have been linked to a lower risk of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.
Where to Buy Celery Seed?
It can be found in most grocery stores and ordered online; You can buy celery seeds on amazon.
McCormick Gourmet Organic Celery Seed
The taste and smell of McCormick Gourmet Organic Celery Seed are like celery.
The celery seed that we carefully chose is certified Organic and does not contain GMOs.
Add to meat and chicken brines and spice rubs.
For the coleslaw, potato salad, or macaroni salad
Cucumbers and other vegetables can be pickled with celery seed.
Recipes with Celery Seed
As we’ve already said, celery seed is often used in drinks, sauces, soups, and salads with tomatoes.
- Classic Bread and Butter Pickles
- Better Than Store-Bought Homemade Ketchup
- Louisiana-Style Vegan Gumbo
Substitutions
A few things could be used instead of celery seeds, depending on what you want to copy. Use dried celery flakes instead of celery seed to get the same celery flavor. If you want the slightly crunchy texture of the whole seed, you can use whole coriander seeds instead. They are bigger than celery seeds and have warm, nutty, citrusy flavors like celery seeds. You could also use whole dill seed.
How to Add Celery Seeds to your Diet?
Celery seeds are a very useful spice that can be used in many ways. You can buy them whole, crushed, or as a spice powder. Celery powder is often used to mean ground celery seed. Celery seed tastes much like a celery stalk, which is not surprising. It’s often used to season soups, vegetable dishes, or homemade salad dressings.
Here are a few more ways to add celery seeds to your diet:
- Sprinkle them on your salad for a flavor boost.
- Mix them into hearty casseroles.
- Use them as a spice rub for grilled meat.
- Incorporate them into your barbeque dishes like coleslaw or potato salad.
- Add them to your pickling recipes.
Some people make tea with ground celery seeds, which I find interesting. You can make your own by pouring boiling water over one tablespoon (6.5 grams) of ground seeds and letting the mixture sit for about 10 minutes. Strain the water to get rid of the seeds, and then eat.
Conclusion
Because these seeds look like cumin seeds, they are easy to mix. Cooks won’t mix them up if they know how they smell and their shapes are slightly different. Also, putting clear labels on spices is always a good idea. The date the spice was bought should be written on spice labels so the cook knows when it might not be good anymore. Celery seed goes well with tomatoes, just like celery does.
That’s why celery seed is often used in dishes with tomatoes, like Bloody Marys, barbecue sauce, and homemade ketchup. Whole celery seed is added to brines, spice mixes for pickling, and marinades. Celery seed can be more bitter when it is ground than when it is whole. In general, powdered forms are better for things like ketchup that need to be smooth. The whole form is better in most other situations, like dry rubs and dressings.