Celery Seed vs. Celery Salt: Comparing Celery Seed and Celery Salt

Celery seed is a spice ingredient consisting of dried, wild celery seeds. It can refer to whole celery seeds or ground celery seeds as dried celery powder. The seeds themselves are small and brown, but they have a strong flavor and their taste is more potent than that of fresh celery from the grocery store. The seed is actually the entire dried fruit of the celery plant.

Celery salt is a condiment that blends celery seeds and table salt. You can make your own homemade celery salt easily if you have celery seed and common table salt on hand. Perhaps due to the flaky nature of sea salt, some people can mistake celery flakes for celery salt. Celery flakes are a separate spice typically made from dried celery root or dehydrated celery stalks.

Celery seed and celery salt have the same ingredient that gives it its celery flavor: dried celery seed. The difference is just in the addition of salt in celery salt. If a dish is already salted and calls for celery seed, using celery salt wouldn't be a good substitute.

This spice can be used to add the flavor of celery to savory dishes, as a salad topping, an ingredient in dressings or sauces, as well as brines and marinades. The flavor also works well in potato salad and to brighten tomato-based soups or stews.

Celery salt can be used in any of the favorite recipes you'd use celery seed that also could benefit from table salt. Celery seed and salt is basically the exact celery salt substitute; however, some dishes or beverages like Bloody Mary cocktails will call for celery salt as it conveniently will retain the same proportion of celery seed and salt each time.

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