Creamed Celery
Creamed celery is a delicious side dish of cooked celery in a sweetened and thickened creamy sauce. This Amish creamed celery recipe is traditionally served at many Amish weddings.
There are many differences in traditions within Amish communities, and I don't know if the Amish in other states serve creamed celery at their weddings. But I grew up in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. And in that area, the Old Order Amish all serve creamed celery as part of their wedding dinner.
Ingredients
- Celery has a refreshing, slightly bitter taste and crisp texture. It is the main ingredient, providing flavor, texture, and bulk to the dish.
- Salt enhances the flavor of the celery and other ingredients. It also helps to balance the sweetness of the dish.
- Water is used to cook the celery.
- Sugar adds sweetness to the dish. Combined with the brown sugar, it balances the savory flavors and adds a subtle sweetness to the cream sauce.
- White vinegar provides acidity, which balances the sweetness and adds a tangy flavor.
- Butter adds richness and flavor to the cream sauce. It helps create a smooth texture and adds a buttery taste.
- Evaporated milk provides creaminess and richness to the dish without the water content of regular milk. It forms the base of the cream sauce, coating the celery and creating a creamy texture.
- Brown sugar adds additional sweetness and depth of flavor to the dish.
- All-purpose flour is used as a thickening agent for the cream sauce. It helps to bind the ingredients together and create a smooth, creamy texture.
These ingredients work together to create a creamy, slightly sweet, and savory dish with a tender texture from the celery. Adjustments in the amounts of sugar and milk can be made according to personal taste preferences.
How to Make Creamed Celery
To make creamed celery, start by washing and chopping the celery into bite-sized pieces.
Place it into a large cooking pot along with water, salt, vinegar, sugar, and butter. Bring it to a boil, cover, and cook over medium-low heat until soft. This will probably take at least 50- 60 minutes unless you use a pressure cooker.
Mix flour and brown sugar, and add the evaporated milk.
Once your celery is soft, stir in the milk mixture. Continue stirring and cooking until it comes to a light boil. Remove from the heat and cool for a few minutes. Enjoy your Amish wedding creamed celery.
Amish Wedding Celery Recipe
I honestly do not know how the tradition of serving creamed celery at weddings got started. But the Amish have some unique traditions. (Click on this link for my post about Amish wedding traditions.) And they tend to stick to their traditions whether they make sense or not.
I'm guessing that serving creamed celery has something to do with the fact that their weddings are in the fall. Celery is harvested in the fall so it would be in season over their wedding time.
If you attend a Lancaster County Amish wedding, you can expect to be served turkey or chicken roast (roasht = stuffing and meat combined), mashed potatoes, and creamed celery (along with numerous other dishes and desserts) for lunch.
The New Order Amish do not have a traditional wedding meal; so I think this is mainly a Lancaster County Old Order Amish tradition.
Celery
In preparation for her daughter's wedding in the fall, an Amish mother will plant several extra rows of celery stalks.
So the week of the wedding, there is plenty of celery that needs to be washed and cut. They need lots of celery to make this creamed celery recipe, but they also need some for the turkey roasht. And they put some on the tables for fresh eating as well.
A Unique Amish Recipe
I hope you enjoy this creamed celery recipe. I love it!
However, I know that sometimes when you grow up with certain foods you learn to enjoy them. And then others will try that recipe and think it's disgusting (this is the case with my kids). But if you like celery, you should at least try it.
I enjoy eating it plain or with a meal. And it is especially good served with their traditional wedding food of mashed potatoes and turkey roast (roasht).
The creamed celery recipe that I am sharing only makes a small batch. So if you love the stuff go ahead and double the batch. It will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.
Memories of Home
I had not eaten creamed celery in years, until recently when I decided to cook some once again.
As I was cooking my celery, the smell brought back memories of my mom cooking in her kitchen. Celery has a delicious smell when it's cooking. And I loved sniffing it :). It takes me back to holidays at home with my Amish family.
One of my Amish cousins (who is a great cook) was willing to share her creamed celery recipe with me so I can share it with you. Let me know in the comments below if you try this recipe and like it.
📖 Recipe Card
Amish Creamed Celery Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 stalk cut celery about 1 quart
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¾ c. water
- 2 Tbsp. sugar
- 1 ½ tsp. white vinegar
- 2 Tbs. butter
- ½ - 1 c. evaporated milk (depending on how creamy you like it)
- 2 - 3 Tbs. brown sugar (depending how sweet you like it)
- 1 Tbs. all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Cut celery into bite-sized pieces. Combine the first six ingredients in a medium-sized cooking pot. Bring to boil.1 stalk cut celery, ½ tsp. salt, ¾ c. water, 2 Tbsp. sugar, 1 ½ tsp. white vinegar, 2 Tbs. butter
- Cover and cook celery over medium-low heat until soft. It takes about 50 minutes to an hour unless you use a pressure cooker.
- Mix brown sugar and flour, add evaporated milk and mix well. Pour this into the cooked celery mixture.½ - 1 c. evaporated milk (depending on how creamy you like it), 2 - 3 Tbs. brown sugar (depending how sweet you like it), 1 Tbs. all-purpose flour
- Continue cooking and stirring until it just barely comes to a boil. Remove from the heat.
Sharyn P Passeretti
I think you meant a bunch of celery rather than a stalk. The stalk is the single piece of the bunch. 😊
This looks really good and I plan on making it.
Anna
I guess people have different names for it. We called one piece a celery rib, and the whole bunch a stalk.
Sheila Jones
It's part of weddings in Ohio also
Anna
Good to know.
Joyce
Husband is surprised how tasty. Used honey in lieu of white sugar and 2 ybls brown sugar. Added half a chopped yellow onion with celery in the 50 min slow simmer. Used most of the 14 oz evaporated milk and cornstarch instead of flour. GF
Delicious and will make again. I could hear the trotting of the horse buggy as I savored.
Anna
Glad you guys enjoyed it!
Seruneit
Das ist ein Rezept, welches unsere Grossmütter auch mit anderen Gemüsen gekocht haben. Zum Beispiel Rosenkohl, Blumenkohl und Kohlrabi nur mit kürzeren Kochzeiten gegenüber Sellerie. Ich persönlich nehme gerne Pflanzensahne gegenüber Kondensmilch. Im übrigen gab es bei meinen Grossmüttern als Nachtisch im Sommer frische Erdbeeren mit Zucker und Kondensmilch, einfach köstlich. In Spanien trinkt man u.a. Cafe Barracito mit Kondensmilch und Likör, super lecker!
Anna
I'm not very good at reading German.
Anna
Yummy!
Patti
Hi there- is one “stalk” correct or one bunch of celery correct? Can’t wait to try this. Thanks so much.
Anna
I believe a stalk usually refers to a whole bunch. One stem is typically called a rib. So yes, you want a whole bunch/stalk of celery (approximately one quart of cut celery).
Paula Hahn Smith
Obviously it was not a real Amish wedding. it is a movie. Thanks for sharing the recipe
Anna
The Amish in Lancaster County do serve creamed celery at their weddings.
Judith Runz
Do you drain the cooking liquid off the celery prior to adding the evaporated milk mixture? Can't wait to try this!
Anna
It doesn't usually have a lot of liquid, so I don't drain it.
Debra Buckwalter
This was a delicious recipe, tastes exactly like I get in Lancaster County restaurants! Made it for Thanksgiving this year.
Anna
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Tammy Zavala
Can I omit the sugar? I absolutely love cooking with celery and look forward in trying your recipe but in my mind sugar does not go with celery.
Anna
Never tried it without the sugar. But I'd say go for it, don't think it can hurt to try.
KathyM
I am friends with an Old order Amish family, and long ago they invited me to attend a wedding of their daughter- we were the only English there..we felt honored. I remember having the wedding feast that you described above, and falling in love with the creamed celery. I asked why it was served at weddings and he told me it was because they typically have weddings in November, and the vegetables served were usually in season, thus celery being one of them. KM
Pam
Is it served and eaten hot or cold?
Thank you
Anna
It's typically served hot as a side dish.
Mikki Sams
Yumm ... can't wait to try this. Every Amish romance novel I read mentions creamed celery. Make my tastebuds water thinking about it.
Anna
I love the stuff but my husband and kids won't touch it. lol. Hope you like it!
Em Gee
Hi Anna! I am watching Amish movies, as I love them! There is a wedding coming up and they are going to make Cream Celery, so as usual my curiosity finds me here! The recipe you have here looks delicious and I hope to make it soon! Thanks for sharing and looking forward to browsing all the other recipes etc that you have here! Take care. Em
Anna
I'm glad that you're here!🙂
Jennifer A Sartell
Is the movie Plus One at an Amish Wedding? We're watching that movie now and they just mentioned creamed celery...thus why I'm here! ☺️
Anna
I'm sorry, but I am not familiar with that movie. However, I cannot imagine that any movie producer would actually find his way into an Amish wedding to film. So it's highly unlikely that it's at an Amish wedding. Creamed celery is served at Amish weddings in Lancaster County, and maybe the producer staged something to make it appear as an Amish wedding.
Corey
The "Plus One at an Amish Wedding" movie brought me here too! I don't usually care for celery, but it sounded so good when discussed in the film, so I decided to give it a try. I tried this recipe tonight and it was great. Thank you!
Anna
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for leaving a comment.