Celery Seeds: Uses, Substitutes and Recipes | McCormick (2024)

FAQs

What can I use celery seeds for? ›

Use celery seed to impart that grounding, vegetal flavor that celery adds, without the bulk. Just like with celery, it's a great undertone for so many unsuspecting dishes, from potato salad to soups, stews, and seafood dishes. This little seed is mightier than you might assume.

Fennel Seeds: Fennel Seed's sweet licorice flavor is a great celery seed substitute that can enhance the flavor of both sweet and savory dishes. Caraway Seeds: Another celery seed substitute is caraway seeds, a relative of the carrot family.

It might not be the same concentration of flavor and lack the more pungent qualities of the seed like bitterness and earthiness, but it'll do the trick. 2 tablespoons minced celery bits (tops, stalk, leaves, root) for every ½ teaspoon celery seeds is a good rule to live by.

Celery stem, oil, and seeds are commonly consumed in foods. As medicine, celery seed powder or extract have most often been used by adults in doses of 1000-1500 mg by mouth daily.

Celery is rich in a plant compound called phthalide. This phytochemical relaxes your artery walls to help blood flow and to lower your blood pressure. Research in mice suggests that a compound called DL-3-n-butylphthalide made from seeds in the flowers of the celery plant improves learning, thinking, and memory.

Today, celery seeds are most commonly used as a cooking spice. However, they're also available as a supplement in extract or capsule form. Though small in size, celery seeds are of great nutritional value and provide many health benefits.

Celery stalks retain their stringy quality when cooked, which can detract from delicate dishes like soups. Celery seed, on the other hand, marches on without these problems. If you're running short on celery or just don't want to buy it in the first place, add a pinch or two of celery seed and you're set to go.

Celery seed is a small, dark brown seed that is harvested from the wild celery plant, while celery salt is a blend of ground celery seed and salt. Celery seed has a strong, slightly bitter flavor and is often used as a spice in dishes such as soups, stews, and salads.

If you run out of celery seeds, fresh celery is also another excellent substitute since they have the same aroma and flavor. 1 teaspoon of celery seed is equal to about 2 stalks of fresh celery.

Celery seeds, like most other spices, can last up to three to four years when kept unopened and stored properly. However, their potency begins to wane after the first year. Once opened, a jar of celery seed is at its best for about one to two years.

Do you need to soak celery seeds? ›

If you're growing celery from seed, then you'll want to soak them in water 24-hours before sowing. Celery seeds can be tricky because of their small size. A simple tip is, once the seeds have been soaked, to mix them with a tiny bit of sand and sprinkling the seed-sand mix onto potting soil.

Nutritional Content: Celery is a good source of vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin K, potassium, and folate. Celery seed is also a good source of some vitamins and minerals, but in smaller amounts.

As per research, celery contains a unique compound called 3-n-butylphthalide (BuPh) that reportedly has lipid-lowering powers (cholesterol is a lipid). BuPh also has a calming effect on our central nervous system that may help promote better sleep.

People with low blood pressure should use caution when considering taking celery seed as a supplement. Some people who are allergic to birch pollen may also be allergic to celery seed. Some of the chemicals in celery stems and seeds can cause the skin to become very sensitive to the sun's UV rays.

Celery seed contains compounds that may be beneficial in the treatment of gout. Luteolin may reduce uric acid levels and reduce inflammatory nitric oxide production. 3-n-butylphthalide and beta-selinene both exhibit anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

They are used in breadmaking and in egg and fish dishes. Celery seeds are ground with salt to make celery salt, which is used for making Bloody Marys.

Consuming celery seeds may support bone health, promote red blood cell formation, and manage blood sugar levels. Celery seed extract may have antibacterial and antioxidant properties. Consuming celery seeds might help with high blood pressure and improve sexual health.

Celery seeds, like most other spices, can last up to three to four years when kept unopened and stored properly. However, their potency begins to wane after the first year. Once opened, a jar of celery seed is at its best for about one to two years.

Celery seeds do not require any treatment (eg soaking, stratification) before sowing. Celery seeds grow best when they are raised in trays or other containers and transplanted to the garden once established.