Email to Don and Nobuko Cross      

CELERY FLAVORING

Recipe Introduction


This is one flavoring that is almost never found in the spice and herb section of food stores. On those few occasions that we did find it, the supplier prepared it so badly that it was unuseable. However if you do buy a bottle of it, save the bottle to store your own product in after preparing it from this recipe.





List of Ingredients



• Fresh celery leaves
  






Instructions



1. Select a bunch of celery that has as many leaves as possible. If the store trims its own celery, ask the produce manager for an untrimed bunch.
   
   
2. Pinch or cut the leaves from each stalk as close to the base of the leaf as possible. Be sure to include the yellow "heart" leaves from the center of the bunch.
   
   
3. Use your fingers to further strip the grean leafy parts away from the center vein (stem).
   
   
4. Spread the stripped leaves out on a jellyroll pan that has been precovered with heavy aluminum foil.
   
   
5. Place the pan in an unlit gas oven or an electric oven preheated to 140 to 170 F.
   
   
6. Allow the leaves to partially dry (about 24 hours in a gas oven heated by its pilot light or about 8 hours in the electric oven) and then loosen the leaves from the foil, rub them between your fingers to lightly crush, redistribute them on the foil, and return to the oven to complete the drying process.
   
   
7. Repeat Step 7 as necessary to fully dry and crush the leaves to a very coarse powder.
   
   
8. Discard any tough pieces of vein or stem, allow to cool, and store the finished product in an air-tight shaker bottle.
   
   
9. To store the remaing celery stalks, wrap them tightly in heavy aluminum foil and refrigerate. They will stay fresh and moist for several weeks this way.
   
   






Final Comments


Dried celery leaves add a wonderful taste to canned soups, deviled eggs, mashed potatoes, creamed gravies and sauces, steamed vegetables, poached fish and meats, salad dressings, roasts, and dozens of other foods.