Celery seed (Recipe: refrigerator zucchini pickles)

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Thank goodness for celery seed!! My 20 minute, start to finish, cucumber pickles would not be as good.

I love celery seed. My mother always put it in potato salad, which really adds a delightful twist for those who haven't tried it.

Well bust my britches, I had no idea that celery seed came from a different plant than the celery we eat. My mother uses it in her hamburger and macaroni, very good.

Bookmark. Print. File in back of brain. Write it down. REMEMBER! Make these zucchini pickles ...

I have started using my potato salad dressing (with celery seed as the special ingredient) for my cole slaw, too! Delicious...

I love celery seed. It is seriously one of my favorite flavors.

Aaarrgghhhh! Once again I forgot to buy celery seed when I was in the U.S. I can only get salt and a pretty awful powder here. My refrigerator pickles just aren't the same without it.
Never tried them with zucchini....

Potato salad would just be potatoes and mayo without celery seed. Great pickle recipe!

Wonderful post! Now I need to get some sevelry salt and make this pickle! I love love pickle!

Pauline, want to share your recipe?

Kalyn, I love celery seed in potato salad - one of the few ways I actually use this spice.

Elise, celery seed in hamburger is new to me! I'll have to try it.

Ha, you'll love these, I'm sure.

Brenda, welcome to The Perfect Pantry. If you've posted about yor potato salad dressing, please share the link.

Rachel, I've got to learn to do more with this, I think. Ideas?

Katie, please let me know if you'd like a care package....

Sandi, I agree about potato salad. I like putting fresh celery plus the celery seed in mine.

Anh, these pickles are great when your friends all start bringing you the extra zucchini from their gardens....

argh! this is the one single ingredient I´ve never yet found here in Madrid. I hunt high and low, but no way, German or American delis, nothing. I make do with celery salt, as you say, but it just ain´t the same. so jealous

oh my you are SO right! I once used celery seed in a coleslaw and was totally blown away by the deliciousness, but i have never used it again!

...and the most important use of all: sprinkle on RI's famous NY System Weiners!!

Thanks, Lydia. I thought it was just me. My celery seed jar is years old and still hardly touched. I only use it for cole slaw and chicken salad, yet I can't give it up. Too bad; I could sure use the room.

Celery seed and I have recently started a flirtation. It's been showing up in my salad dressings and potato salad, in cole slaw and deviled eggs. I'm thinking about putting it in my next gazpacho (but I think my husband will nix that idea) and now I'm getting a serious craving for a bloody mary (called bloody me in my house). Too bad it's Monday morning.

Here is the recipe for Bread & Butter Pickles:
4 tightly packed cups of thinly sliced pickling cukes
3/4 cup thinly sliced onions
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp mustard seed
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 c white vinegar
Mix all together - cover
Microwave 4 minutes - stir
Microwave 4 minutes - stir
Pour into jar and refrigerate
Makes approximately 1 quart
Keeps very well in refrigerator.

Lydia, you are my absolute teacher - another new ingredient to me! :)

Zucchini pickles! Cannot wait to try this. thanks for the recipe!

I use it too, it's at the back of the cupboard just now, and I can't for the life of me think what I actually use it for. It comes out now and again though!

Lobster, I'm happy to send some to you. Actually, as I'm not using mine very often, maybe I should send you the jar from my pantry! No, no, I promise to use it more often.

Trini, I'll bet you have some hiding at the back of your pantry shelf, just like I do. Maybe I need to move mine up front....

Marcia, I had no idea!!! It's clear you are a real Rhode Islander!

Susan, we should send our jars to the wonderful Pantry readers in other countries who are having a hard time finding celery seed. I'm sure mine would be happier in a better home.

Mary, I definitely have to try more salad dressing variations with celery seed -- such a good idea. And so is a Bloody Me -- I love that!

Pauline, yippee! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe. Now that pickling cukes are showing up at the farmers' market, I'll give these a try.

Patricia, thank you -- I am learning so much about Brazilian cooking from you!

Luisa, I don't know if this happens to you in the city, but here in Rhode Island my many gardening friends all bring me zucchini.... at the same time! After ratatouille and quiche and zucchini bread, it's nice to make pickles for a change of taste.

Kelly-Jane, now I definitely feel better -- I really thought I was the only one guilty of celery seed neglect!

I must mention Dr. Brown's Cel-Ray tonic. I believe their unique celery tonic taste is derived from celery seeds. I think this is a unique New York taste but wonder if it is available outside the States.

I almost want to make celery seed ice cream.
I also like it on baked potatoes. or seafood.

Cousin Martin, I'd forgotten all about Dr. Brown's. It was always the beverage of choice with corned beef and pastrami sandwiches!

Rachel, if you make the ice cream, please let us know! I think celery seed would be great in a cocktail sauce for cold shrimp.

I had always assumed the seed was related to the stalk! I like to add just a touch of celery seed to egg salad.

TW, the thing I love best about writing this blog is that I have to research each of the items I write about -- and that's how I learned about the origins of celery seed. Egg salad is one of my favorites -- will try a bit of celery seed next time I make it.

Todays hot hot weather and this post bring back a sweet food memory from my mispent youth. Back when a hole-in-the-wall could still afford the rent in Harvard Square there was delightful little hot dog joint that served Chicago-style franks. I ate them several times a week for lunch -- totally seduced by the addition of tomatoes and celery seeds to my dogs...

The answer to keeping those herbs and spices that you use seldom is to buy them from a store that stocks them in bulk. You can buy a small amount when you need it; they are fresh and inexpensive. Usually found in natural food stores...if you're ever in Keene NH look me up at VitaSource! Years ago we had a deli and sold zucchini pickles, recipe from the New Yorker, of all places. (Why do Vermonters lock their car doors in the summer? To keep the zucchini out.)

Jessica, how did I miss this hot dog place??? And how did I miss the idea of celery seeds and hot dogs???

Susan, when I lived in Boston, our local Syrian grocery sold all of their spices in bulk. Since moving to a more rural part of the world, I haven't had that option. But I do pass through Keene from time to time.... (I'm laughing at your zucchini joke, too!)

Wow I didn't know that about celery seed! I'm afraid of buying too many spices I don't use but I've heard many times it's great in potato salad and I love potato salad. Maybe I'll buy some now.

Amy, I don't use it very often, either, but I always like to have some on hand (and there are some great suggestions in the comments for ways to use it). Maybe we should share? Actually I like Susan G's idea of buying at a bulk store.

Years ago my father made zucchini pickles from a recipe in the New Yorker--can't find it anywhere. But when I googled for it I saw a mention of those very pickles here. HELP! does anyone have that recipe? Would be delighted and grateful to have it again.

Years ago my father made zucchini pickles from a recipe in the New Yorker--can't find it anywhere. But when I googled for it I saw a mention of those very pickles here. HELP! does anyone have that recipe? Would be delighted and grateful to have it again.

Celery seed saves me with chicken!

As I don't always have celery in the house, a healthy shake in my stockpot helps any chicken soup and, chicken in the pot? Another healthy shake while it is simmering and no need to run to the store for celery : )

Now I have to try those bread and butter pickles...!

Sukey, I hope this recipe is close to what you were looking for. Have you tried writing to The New Yorker to ask for the recipe?

Ohiogirl, welcome to The Perfect Pantry. I love celery seed with chicken, too -- I'll add chicken salad with celery seed to your list.

Ohiogirl--Thanks so much for answering. Woud love to see your zucchini pickle recipe-please post it, can't wait. Zucchinis abound even though my little garden has done its thing for the season.

Hiya, I've been looking for celery seeds in the UK for a few weeks, but I can't find any, I have tried Asda, Somerfield, Co op and Tesco. Does anyone know where in the UK I can get some? I realy don't want to resort to eBay, lol.

Saz

Ohiogirl--still waiting for the zucchini pickle recipe. Please send, would like to make some for the holidays.
Thanks

Sukey, this link might have the recipe you're looking for:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE1DA173DF934A1575BC0A963958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=print

Thanks, Lydia--those are great zucchini recipes, but not the pickle recipe I've been searching for, which, as I remember, had lots of parsley, garlic and some combo of spicing (in a darkish sauce) that gave them a unique flavor.