Homemade Celery Salt
Homemade celery salt couldn't be easier to make. I keep a bottomless jar of it on hand and use it on just about everything - eggs, soups, salads. It's hard to go wrong with it.
A number of you requested I post about making homemade celery salt. It's great. I mean it. You should make it too. If you make some each time you buy a bunch of celery, you end up with a bottomless jar of celery-spiked salt. And this way, minimal celery parts go to waste, except the celery strings - my suspicion is there won't be many tears shed over that.
How to Use Homemade Celery Salt
So many ways! Celery salt is good on buttered corn-on-the cob, green beans, in soups, in yogurt, sprinkled over eggs. It's great on things like macaroni salad, or egg salad, this shaved fennel salad, or this buttermilk farro salad. I bet it'd be great on Sara's Green bean salad, or Deb's Israeli salad. You get the idea.
The Key to Buying the Right Celery
Here's the catch. You have to find celery with leaves still intact. You'll likely have more luck at farmers' markets, but I've noticed more and more grocers sparing celery leaves from the trash. Also, leaves hide. You'll find more and more as you work your way from outside stalks to inside ones.
I make other salts on occasion too - a citrus salt version comes to mind. Also, one with herbs de Provence. Have fun experimenting!
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Homemade Celery Salt
I've made celery salt with a number of different types of salt, and the flaky, whispers of Maldon sea salt is my current favorite. The shards are similar in size to the crumbled celery leaves, which works nicely. With some of the finer sea salts, you get more separation. Which is not what you want.
- Leaves from one bunch of celery
- flaky sea salt (see head notes)
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Pick the leaves from each celery stalk, leaving the stems behind. The outer leaves tend to be dark green and hearty, the inner leaves pale green and tender. I use them all.
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Rinse the leaves with cold water in a strainer, then shake off as much of the water as you can. At this point you want to dry the leaves as much as possible, so they toast (not steam) when you cook them. Gently pat them dry in a clean dish towel, or paper towels. Once dry you have two options for toasting the leaves.
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If I have a lot of leaves, I arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet, then bake in a 350F / 180C oven for about 5-7 minutes. Bake until dehydrated and crispy, but not browned.
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If I have fewer leaves, or just don't feel like heating the oven, I'll throw them in a large skillet. Single layer if possible, over medium-low heat. Again, you want to barely toast them, not brown the leaves much.
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In either case, when you're done cooking. Remove from heat and let the leaves cool completely. They'll crisp up even more at this point. When cool, use your fingers to crumble the leaves completely, discarding any leaves that aren't crispy.
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Combine equal parts celery leaves and salt in a jar, and either stir or shake to distribute the celery leaves evenly throughout.
Roughly 1 cup. But yield depends on the amount of leaves.
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Comments
Could you show us how to make garlic salt???? Lovely post.
I use celery salt for one thing: delicious super easy coleslaw. Shred 1 head of savoy cabbage; toss with bottled all-natural blue cheese dressing of your choice (or make your own of course), generously season with celery salt and fresh ground black pepper. Chill for several hours before serving. Thanks for all the amazing recipes, Heidi!
Oh I can see my Bloody Mary on Saturday morning is going to be even more perfect than before!! :-)
If you can grow some Lovage, you can take the celery salt idea to the next level. Lovage tastes like intense celery and is so good on so many things. It was used in ancient roman cookery. Oh. I love your new cookbook!
Simple and super easy but also really handy to add that something extra to normal dishes. Thanks for this, really.
Great idea for celery salt. Will do that shortly! Maldon salt is the most wonderful finishing salt. I once that all this fancy salt stuff was silly. I was wrong. Does anyone have a great favorite banana bread recipe? I have the bottom drawer of the freezer full of old bananas that are ready for bread.
Looks wonderful!
My husband and I eat celery every day as a side by itself. I'll have to save some leaves for this, though, as I usually use them in place of lettuce in salads and on sandwiches. I think I'll toss some celery seeds in this along with the salt. :)
This is great thank you! Could you please also post a recipe for home made curry paste? On a different note, would you consider making a gluten free category on your site?
Heidi, you are the best! I love this stuff and can't find a decent version in the UK shops. I am going to try your version.
My brother usually grows way too much basil and at the end of the season (we live around Seattle) I harvest as much as I can, wash and dry it and stuff it into a big jar with layers of big salt grainsl. Then shake it a lot - keep it in the refrigerator - shake it well every day - the leaves finally dry out so I can either fish them out in the dead of winter or season dishes with the salt. My last batch is two years old and finally down to little salt grains. I like using the salt in pasta water as well as in dishes.
What a fabulous idea! I usually just take the leafy parts and freeze them for later use in soups or stocks.
So excited to make this - Do you think lovage leaves would work as well? I have a whole bush!
I will have to try this! I made a lemon zest and chive salt a while ago that I had read about in the Jamie Oliver magazine. It was dreamy for dipping eggs.
What a great idea! Sunday brunch bloody Mary's are the perfect vehicle for this :)
recently started reading your blog. so inspiring. i also ordered your books so i can try to incorporate whole foods in my family
Gorgeous photography. :) It's never occurred to me to make this, but it looks a lot easier than I expected it would be. I'll have to give it a shot!
It's simple things like homemade celery salt that make food taste exceptional. Thanks for sharing this recipe. Love the idea of having your own "house" salt blends and there are so many cool ideas in the comments today!
I've never had it, but I have always wanted to! Something about it makes me want to put it ON celery, lol. Great recipe!
wow! I never thought to do this - great idea! Thanks!