Celery tea is a simple infusion you can make from either fresh celery stalks or whole celery seeds, and it takes less than 20 minutes from start to cup. The two methods produce slightly different flavors and nutrient profiles, so the best approach depends on what you have on hand and what you’re after. Here’s how to make both versions, plus what the research says about the benefits you’re actually getting.
Celery Seed Tea
Celery seed tea is the more concentrated option. The seeds pack a higher density of the plant’s active compounds into a small amount, so you need very little.
Add 1 teaspoon of whole celery seeds to a mug or teapot, then pour 2 cups of boiling filtered water over them. Let the seeds steep for 10 to 20 minutes. A shorter steep gives a milder, lighter tea. A longer steep pulls out more of the plant’s bitter, earthy flavor and more of its active compounds. Strain the seeds out and drink it warm, or let it cool to room temperature. You can add a squeeze of lemon or a small amount of honey to soften the taste, which leans grassy and slightly peppery.
Use whole seeds rather than ground celery seed powder. Ground powder makes the tea cloudy and gritty, and it’s harder to strain cleanly. Look for organic celery seeds sold specifically for culinary use, not garden seeds, which may be treated with chemicals.
Fresh Celery Stalk Tea
If you don’t have celery seeds, you can make tea from fresh stalks and leaves. The flavor is lighter and more vegetal, closer to a mild broth than a traditional herbal tea.
Chop 3 to 4 celery stalks (leaves included) into roughly 1-inch pieces. The leaves actually contain more of the plant’s beneficial flavonoids than the stalks, so don’t discard them. Place the chopped celery in a pot with 4 cups of water. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. The celery should become soft and somewhat translucent. Strain the liquid into a mug and discard the solids, or save them for soup.
Fresh celery tea is mild enough that many people drink it plain. If you want more flavor, try adding a thin slice of fresh ginger or a few sprigs of mint during the last 5 minutes of simmering.
What’s Actually in the Cup
Celery is one of the top dietary sources of apigenin, a flavonoid that belongs to a group of plant compounds linked to reduced inflammation and lower risk of cardiovascular disease. USDA data ranks celery in the moderate-to-high range for apigenin content (10 to 50 mg per 100 grams of raw vegetable). When you steep or simmer celery, some of that apigenin transfers into the water, though the exact concentration in your tea depends on steeping time, temperature, and whether you’re using seeds or stalks.
Celery seeds are more potent per gram than stalks. They contain higher concentrations of volatile oils and flavonoids, which is why seed tea tends to have a stronger taste and a more noticeable effect.
Potential Benefits
The most studied effect of celery seed is its impact on blood pressure. In a randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, participants who took celery seed extract saw their systolic blood pressure drop from about 141 to 130 mmHg, and their diastolic pressure dropped from about 92 to 84 mmHg. That’s a meaningful reduction, roughly equivalent to what some mild blood pressure medications achieve. The study used concentrated extract rather than tea, so the effect from a daily cup would likely be more modest, but the mechanism is the same.
Celery seed also shows promise for uric acid levels. In animal studies published in Molecular Medicine Reports, celery seed extracts significantly reduced serum uric acid and decreased joint swelling in models of gout. The compounds appear to work by suppressing the enzyme that produces uric acid in the first place. Again, concentrated extracts were used in these studies, but traditional use of celery seed tea for joint discomfort and fluid retention goes back centuries.
Celery has mild diuretic properties, meaning it encourages your body to release more water through urine. This is part of why it has historically been used as a “detox” tea, though what’s really happening is simply increased fluid output.
How Much to Drink
There’s no official dosage for celery tea specifically. For celery seed in supplemental form, the most commonly studied dose is 1,000 to 1,500 mg of seed powder or extract per day, taken short-term. One teaspoon of whole celery seeds weighs roughly 2 grams, so a single cup of seed tea made with the recipe above falls within that general range.
One to two cups per day is a reasonable amount for most people. Drinking celery tea consistently over a few weeks is more likely to produce noticeable effects than a single cup.
Safety Considerations
Celery tea is safe for most people when consumed in typical food-like amounts, but there are a few things worth knowing.
Celery contains natural compounds called furanocoumarins that can increase your skin’s sensitivity to UV light. When consumed as part of a normal diet, the amount is too low to cause problems. But people who drink large quantities of celery juice or tea daily, especially combined with heavy sun exposure or tanning beds, have developed a condition called phytophotodermatitis: a painful, blistering skin reaction in sun-exposed areas. If you’re drinking celery tea regularly, be mindful of prolonged sun exposure.
Celery contains compounds with mild blood-thinning properties. While no clinical evidence has confirmed a direct interaction with warfarin or similar medications, the theoretical risk exists. If you take blood thinners or diuretics, it’s worth mentioning your celery tea habit to your prescriber, since the tea could amplify those medications’ effects.
Pregnant women should stick to food-level amounts of celery. In large quantities, celery compounds can stimulate uterine contractions. The same caution applies during breastfeeding, where safety data for medicinal doses is limited.
Tips for Better Flavor
- Lemon and honey: A classic pairing that masks the grassy bitterness of celery seed tea without overpowering it.
- Fresh ginger: Adds warmth and helps if you find straight celery tea too “green” tasting.
- Mint leaves: A few fresh leaves added during the last minutes of steeping brighten the flavor considerably.
- Chill it: Celery stalk tea works well as an iced tea. Simmer, strain, refrigerate, and serve over ice with lemon.
Celery seed tea keeps in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Fresh stalk tea is best consumed the same day, as it can develop an off taste after sitting overnight. If you’re batch-making either version, store it in a sealed glass jar rather than plastic to preserve the flavor.