Spices and Condiments (1+1)

Harvesting, Yield and Value added products

Harvesting and yield
In cooler climates and on the hills, celery is a perennial plant and produces seeds only in the second year. It takes about 4-5 months from the time of sowing to seeding. In the plains, the crop matures in about 3 months after transplanting.
The crop is harvested when about 80% of the buds begin to turn light brown. Since seed shattering is common, harvesting it in the early morning hours is advisable. The harvested crop is stacked in the field for a few days, and then threshed to obtain the seeds.
Care is taken to avoid prolonged exposure to the sun. The seeds are cleaned by winnowing. They are graded through sieving and stored in gunny bags in a cool dry place.
The average yield of celery is about 1000-1500 kg/ha. Celery seeds yield 2-3% of pale yellow volatile oil with a persistent odour. The volatile or essential oil contained in the seed is isolated by steam distillation. The seed should be crushed and immediately put through distillation to avoid the loss of oil by evaporation.
It is important that the seeds be evenly spread on the perforated grids with which a still serving for seed distillation should be equipped. The distillation of one batch lasts for 10-12 hours. The distillation wastes are usually redistilled.

Value-added products
Celery seed oil, celery herb (leaf) oil, celery chaff oil, celery seed oleoresin, celery salt, celery pepper, dehydrated celery leaves and freeze-dried celery are some value-added products.
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