Celery salt explained

Celery salt is a seasoned salt used to flavour food. The primary ingredient is table salt and the flavouring agent is ground seeds from celery^[1] or its relative lovage.^[2] It is also sometimes produced using dried celery or seed oleoresin.^{[3] [4]}

Additives

Celery salt normally contains an anticaking agent such as silicon dioxide^[1] or calcium silicate.^[2]

As a vegetable, celery seeds have potassium as the dominant ion over sodium (ninefold more).^[5]

Uses

Celery salt is an ingredient of the Bloody Mary cocktail and the Caesar cocktail.^[6] It is also reported to be an ingredient in KFC's secret spice mix.^[7] It is also commonly used to season the Chicago-style hot dog, the New York System wiener, salads, coleslaw and stews. It is a primary ingredient in Old Bay brand seasoning.^[8]

Because sodium nitrate, a chemical that serves as a food preservative, occurs naturally in celery, celery salt is often used by food producers to prevent spoilage while avoiding listing sodium nitrate on the ingredients list directly.^[9]

See also

• Celery powder
• List of edible salts

Notes and References

1. Web site: Celery Salt - Herbs & Spices - Schwartz UK. www.schwartz.co.uk.
2. Web site: CELERY - Bart Ingredients - Not all ingredients are equal. www.bart-ingredients.co.uk. 2014-02-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20171009144313/http://bart-ingredients.co.uk/ingredient/celery/. 2017-10-09. dead.
3. Book: Culinary Herbs . 177 . 9780660190730 . Small . Ernest . 2006 . NRC Research Press .
4. Book: Coffee and Tea Industries and the Flavor Field . 1914 . 270 .
5. Web site: Food Composition Databases Show Foods -- Spices, celery seed. ndb.nal.usda.gov. 2016-06-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20180321193108/https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/257?manu=&fgcd=. 2018-03-21. dead.
6. Web site: Celery Salt - Buy Celery Salt Online.
7. News: The Colonel's original KFC chicken recipe found in scrapbook. 4 January 2017. www.nzherald.co.nz. NZ Herald.
8. List of ingredients provided at: http://www.oldbay.com/Products/Old-Bay-Seasoning.aspx
9. Web site: Are the Health Concerns About Nitrates Overblown?. 2013-02-12. 2017-02-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20170211103855/http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/seasoningflavoring/a/nitrates.htm. dead.