Celery salt

Celery salt

Celery salt is a seasoned salt used as a food seasoning, made from ground seeds, which may come from celery^[1] or its relative lovage.^[2] It may also be 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]

Some brands of celery salt are very high in the preservative sodium nitrate. When added to foods, sodium nitrate forms small amounts of nitrosamines, a family of possible human carcinogens.^[5] As a vegetable, celery seeds have potassium as the dominant ion over sodium (9 fold more). ^[6]

Uses

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

Celery salt is often used by food producers to prevent spoilage while avoiding listing sodium nitrate on the ingredients list directly.^[9]

In New England, especially in Maine, shakers of celery salt frequent institutions that sell hog dogs.

See also

• Celery powder
• List of edible salts

References