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Celery

 

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Celery is a plant comprising an herb and its seed that are both used for culinary and medicinal uses. Celery Seed is the dried fruit of Apium graviolens, a biennial in the parsley family. It was cultivated in the Mediterranean region since at least 3000 years. It is related, but not identical, to the vegetable celery plant. It common name is Smallage or Marsh Water Parsley, Garden Celery, Wild Celery.  Its Arabic name is Karafs.The tiny brown seeds have a celery-like flavor and aroma. The seeds are very small (about 1/16th of an inch), ovoid and light brown. Celery or as the ancients called it "smallage" (a wild, bitter marsh plant), has been used as a medicine since the time of the Greeks. The ancient Greeks and Romans used Celery for its medicinal purposes and there was a popular belief that it was an aphrodisiac.

In the Middle Ages, Italian farmers began to cultivate "smallage" and discovered that cultivation produced a much superior plant. At that time people began to use it more widely as a vegetable. It was not until the 19th century that the seeds were used in recipes, appearing first in pickling recipes.
The parts used of the celery plant are the seeds, the herb and the root. Leaves and root; both are used as vegetable or spice All plant parts are strongly aromatic.
The tiny seeds are tan/brown in color. Celery contains boron, calcium, iron, zinc, and the following vitamins: A, B-complex, and C. Celery Seed tastes similar to table celery, with its warm, slightly bitter, aromatic flavor. The flavor and aroma of Celery Seed is generally described as being similar to Fennel and Anise. The flavor notes are characteristically hay-like and grassy. 

 

   

Celery Seed

Its main constituent is a volatile essential oil. The essential oil of celery seed includes d-limonene, selinene, sesquiterpene alcohols, sedanolide, and sedanonic anhydride. An essential oil is obtained from seeds or seed chaff by a process of crushing and steam distillation. Celery seed contains two oils one heavy, the other lighter it contains apiol.
A fixed oil includes the fatty acids petroselinic, oleic, linoleic, myristic, palmitic, palmitoleic, stearic, and myristoleic. Oil of celery seed is sometimes mixed with celery chaff oil or di-limonene and other terpenes from less expensive essential oils. It also contains Phthalides, Coumarins and Flavonoids; apiin and apigenin.

Uses:

Celery seeds have many medicinal uses. Its actions include anti-rheumatic, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, carminative, anti-spasmodic and nervine (promoting restfulness and sleep). It is also useful in hysteria.

Celery Seeds find their main use in the treatment of rheumatism, arthritis and gout. Celery Seed is most often taken to aid in the maintenance of healthy joints. It is suitable for anyone who wishes to reduce the degeneration of body joints that commonly occurs with age.

Celery Seed can also ease joint discomfort that occurs due to inflammation and is, in fact, mainly used for the relief of symptoms of such conditions as arthritis, rheumatism and gout. They are especially useful in rheumatoid arthritis where there is an associated mental depression. Their diuretic action is obviously involved in rheumatic conditions, but Celery Seeds are also used as a urinary antiseptic, largely because of the volatile oil, apiol.

Celery Seeds

Celery seeds are very helpful for people suffering from an over supply of uric acid. Celery has large amounts of potassium and organic sodium that help to rid the body of waste material by stimulating various sites such as the skin, bowels and kidneys. It re-balances the acid/alkaline in the system and may help prevent certain cancers. It is very potent in case of Kidney Stones, and chronic kidney diseases.

Celery Seed has an antiseptic property that makes it useful to the health of the urinary tract and a diuretic property to help relieve fluid retention - Celery Seed aids in the elimination of uric acid.  These properties can prove useful in cases of bladder disorders, cystitis and kidney disorders.

Celery also promotes the onset of menstruation. Celery Seed can help soothe the nerves and relieve pain. Consuming Celery Seed in food also aids in the digestion of protein.

In Germany, celery preparations are used to treat loss of appetite loss and exhaustion, and also in the prophylaxis of nervous exhaustion. The volatile oil in Apium has been shown to have antifungal activity, and it is active against many bacteria.

As a condiment, the seeds of celery are used either as the whole seeds or ground and mixed with salt in celery salt.

Culinary uses:

The brown, characteristically aromatic, pungent seed is used in salads, soups, stews, vegetable dishes, meat dishes, and celery salt (a mixture of table salt and ground celery seed).

The essential oil and oleoresin of celery seed are used as a flavoring or fragrance in perfumes, and cosmetics, such as soaps, creams, and lotions. The odor is produced by the anhydrides, sedanoid, and sedanomic. It is administered as an Infusion; pour a cup of boiling water onto l-2 teaspoonfuls of freshly crushed seeds. Leave to infuse for l0-l5 minutes. This should be drunk three times a day.

Celery seed is generally recognized as safe for human consumption as a spice, natural seasoning, and plant extract/essential oil. Used in pickling, vegetables, salad dressings, breads, soups, and tomato items. Celery seed is used in celery salt, pickling and curry spice blends, and the ethnic cuisines of Germany, Italy, Russia, and the Orient. Celery Seed is useful for adding a celery flavor to foods when the "crunch" of celery is not desired.

Celery Seeds

Celery Seed is useful for adding a celery flavor to foods when the "crunch" of celery is not desired. Stir some into clam, potato, or other creamy soups. Add a pinch to blue cheese dressings and spoon the dressing over ripe tomatoes. 

The celery plant is slender and stands about two to three feet tall. It has three to five segmented leaves, and flowers with small white petals. As a vegetable, celery is cultivated for the green and blanched leaf stalks (Apium graveolens) or, to a limited extent, the edible thickened roots and crowns.

Celery Leaves

Celery Seed is useful for adding a celery flavor to foods when the "crunch" of celery is not desired. Stir some into clam, potato, or other creamy soups. Add a pinch to blue cheese dressings and spoon the dressing over ripe tomatoes. 

The celery plant is slender and stands about two to three feet tall. It has three to five segmented leaves, and flowers with small white petals. As a vegetable, celery is cultivated for the green and blanched leaf stalks (Apium graveolens) or, to a limited extent, the edible thickened roots and crowns.

 

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