History
Bell’s Seasoning | A New England Thanksgiving Classic
A New England spice blend classic dating back to 1867, Bell’s Seasoning has been making Thanksgiving taste good for nearly 150 years.
By Aimee Tucker|Nov 15 2021|
Bell's Seasoning
Photo Credit: Aimee Seavey
Bell’s Seasoning History
One of the oldest spice mixes in the country, Bell’s dates back to 1867, when William F. Bell of Newton, Massachusetts created the blend from an old family recipe. Since then, nothing has changed…and come to think of it, neither has the box. Immediately recognizable with its colorful, (now) vintage looking label, lettering, and hand-drawn turkey, Bell’s is the throwback that never left.
Just What is Poultry Seasoning Anyway?
So what’s in Bell’s Seasoning? Each box contains a savory, salt-free, and all-natural blend of rosemary, oregano, sage, ginger, marjoram, thyme, and pepper with no added preservatives, additives, or artificial ingredients. Combined, the aroma is pure Thanksgiving. No really, I mean that. When I asked my co-workers to weigh in on what a whiff of Bell’s smells like to them, the answers were things like chicken, turkey, stuffing, the holidays, and “something exotic.” And since it was created a mere 4 years after President Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a federal holiday in 1863, maybe it’s fair to say that Bell’s had a subsequent hand in establishing the official savory, spicy profile of the holiday season?
SEE MORE: Scenes from a New England Thanksgiving | Table Style Tips Turkey FAQ | A Thanksgiving Cheat Sheet Sam Hayward’s Roast Brined Turkey Is There a Difference Between Dressing and Stuffing?
I have been living in Europe since 1978 and every year for Thanksgiving a new challenge is there to tackle.
I create my own cranberry sauce(s), cook squash for my pumpkin pie and yes, bake an Indian Pudding from a
recipe in Imogene Walcott`s Yankee Cookbook. Last year I had no more Bell´s in my cupboard. I found enough suggestions for creating my own seasoning which to my surprise was quite good. My home smelled like Thanksgiving as I prepared the bread stuffing. I have saved my empty box of Bell´s and it sits above my stove.
So this girl from Massachusetts has had a wonderful holiday and wishes all of you Happy Thanksgiving!!
Never heard of or seen Bell’s till recently. I was drawn in by the vintage looking box in a display at Hannaford’s. Picked it up to look at it and sniffed it and it was Thanksgiving in a little yellow box! I was very tempted to buy one just for the look and smell – imagine being transported to Thanksgiving,with one sniff, all year long!
So glad to have finally found this on Nevada after four markets. My holidays are complete.
My mother used Bell’s Seasoning in our holiday stuffing and I continue the tradition. So many of our New England foods seem to be disappearing. Just try to find common crackers in a grocery store!! I hope Bell’s never changes and stays around for at least another 100 years.
They also produce a meatloaf seasoning. Hmmm, only ever saw this in New England… Along with premelt chocolate squares (which has a wonderful Brownie recipe on the box. Now I need a trip home.
Many years ago, after I moved here from Boston, I was particularly happy to find I could buy Bell’s at a couple of high end purveyors here in London (UK): Fortnam and Mason and Harrods, sell it. And now that we have Whole Foods around the city, it is even easier (but no less expensive!) to buy. I love it, and use it on many different dishes.
I never heard of the meatloaf seasoning before. Is that new? I will try Amazon, as they often have US food products for sale!
My grandmother always put Bells in her meatloaf. Amazing!
I am from Ohio and we used Bells all the time . It’s awesome and timeless . I now live in the Philippines – Do you ship there ?
Is it Thanksgiving without Bell’s Seasoning, you ask?? The answer is a resounding “NO”!!! Since moving to Florida in 1993, I at first despaired of finding this product on store shelves here……….not to worry, it’s widely available! I always have a box in my collection of herbs and spices, all of which are kept refrigerated to maintain their potency! Now, if the stores around here would only carry Grandmother’s Mincemeat, this former New Englander would be a happy camper indeed ~ as it is, I have to get family members to purchase it and send it south!!
My Dad mailed a fresh box of Bell’s to me in Morrocco, Germany, France, Belgium and Panama ever year for over 20 years. It did make for the smell and taste of Thanksgiving in MA.
I love Bells and use it throughout the year on things like chicken and egg salad, roast chicken and game birds and even in some breads. My only complaint is why can’t they have a metal can, at least once that you could refill from the box (Products like Band-Aids do that from time to time). This would make it easier to keep fresh throughout the year without having to use plastic bagsor nondescript jars.
At 81 I grew up with stuffing with Bells. Sixty years ago when my wife cooked our first turkey something was wrong. The next thanksgiving. The stuffing tasted right on. I introduced her to Bells
Bell’s is the only seasoning for Thanksgiving stuffing along with onions & celery but I use it year-round on pork, chicken & fish too! I have to mail boxes to my 2 sisters & friends in Florida as it’s very hard to find down there.
My family has used Bells for at least 95 years— I bring some down to Florida and Texas every year for family and friends…and..yes..it is the BEST ingredient in my cornbread stuffing!
We don’t have dressing/stuffing without Bell’s. I keep 3-4 boxes on hand, just in case. Send it to friends and relatives who live out of Massachusetts. One year I spent over $20. for overnight postage to send Bell’s to my sister for her Thanksgiving. Also, have met a couple of people at the Post Office sending Bell’s to relatives because they don’t have it where they live. I’m 72 and have never had a Thanksgiving without it.
I LOVE Bell’s and would never make stuffing without it! I owe that love to my New England roots! Happy Turkey Day!
Not only use it for Thanksgiving, but I use Bell’s year round. I also buy a box, open it and let the open box sit on a shelf to make my pantry and kitchen smell awesome
I use it here in California! My mom grew up in New England and her stuffing a favorite of all. We love Bell’s.
Definitely makes it more authentic!! My hubby & I are both from RI. Oddly enough, both my Italian 1st generation Mom and Irish 2nd generation mother-in-law made the exact same New England sage Sausage Thanksgiving stuffing…w/ Bell’s!! It’s now our daughter’s responsibility on Thanksgiving Day.
Bells has always been a staple in our house. When I was a little girl and trying to help in the kitchen, my mom used to say that Bells was a magic ingredient. This is what her mother and grandmother used also,and that would bring us back to to the 1800s. Bells is what helps us make holidays great!
My friend puts Bells in her meat pies. When she moved to Florida I had to send her 7 boxes of it because she could not find it anywhere. When I was in line at the grocery store with the 7 boxes a woman asked me if I had some new recipe that needed a lot of Bells. My friend lives in MO now and I guess she can get it there.
I was born and raised in Plymouth, Ma where the first Thanksgiving was celebrated. When I moved to California, my mom had to send me boxes of that magic stuffing seasoning so I could make the traditional, Cape Cod stuffing. Several years later, I could purchase it here in California super markets. I would never attempt to make stuffing with out it.. NEVER!!!!
Sharon….would you consider sharing your recipe for the cape cod stuffing? After my Mom passed, I could never make great stuffing like her. Now living in California, I would really like to impress my husband and rekindle memories.
Thanks
Linda
I would also love to have your cape cod recipe. Would it be possible to get it from you?
I also would love your recipe! I lived most of my life on the Cape, but don’t know what Cape Cod dressing is. Thank you.
Used it for years but don’t buy it this year in Western Mass. All the boxes are defective in two supermarkets I went to— the boxes are not sealed properly and all the stuff leaks out in your grocery bag.
I always sprinkled a bit of bell seasoning on my turkey sandwiches growing up, with toasted bread, mayo, lettuce and tomato it was the best sandwich I’ve ever had. Has anyone used it as part of their dry rub for Thanksgiving Turkey?
Ooh, what a good idea! Next week when I have my first cold turkey sandwich of the season, I’m going to try that. Sounds yummo!
Been living in GA for 20+ years and still wont use anything elsee
Does anyone have the Bell’s original recipe for baked chicken?. It was on the box in the 1980’s
Bell’s website has recipes for seasoned turkey that may be what you are looking for.
This is the baked Chicken recipe that I saved from the side of the box. (Don’t recall the year.)
Baked (or Fried) Chicken
“To coat 2 lbs. poultry, combine:
1/2 cup fine bread crumbs
2 tbs. flour
1 tbs. Bell’s Seasoning
1/16 tsp. garlic powder ( I guess that would be a pinch!)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
Dip pieces of chicken a in well-beaten egg, then roll in above mixture.”
They don’t give any further instructions, so I guess you proceed with your favorite method to bake or fry the chicken. They also recommend basting roasted poultry with butter and sprinkling with Bell’s seasoning. I hope this helps!
My mother and grandmother used Bell’s and I carry on that tradition to this day. I am originally from NY but have lived in the south now for about 22 years and yes, I do make cornbead dressing with Bell’s!
Wow! Bell’s! Haven’t seen that in ages! We can get it now at Redner’s , a new grocery store chain here in Delaware. A lot of their stuff is what i remember from Stop and Shop, or Elm Farms. So I bought some Bell’s for the stuffing; the label made me remember my Dad “doctoring” up that gravy etc. Thanks for the memories;good times, good times!
I use Bell’s Seasoning in my mother’s recipe for French Canadian Meat Stuffing.
Being a Southerner, married to a Yankee, I make a pan of cornbread dressing and a pan of sausage/bread dressing. BOTH types must have Bell’s seasoning…as does the gravy! Not a perfect Thanksgiving dinner w/o Bell’s.
I have chills just reading all of the comments people sent in. Born in Framingham now living in Maryland (for the past 40 yrs) but my heart is in . mass. and BELL’S. My grandmother , my mother and me can’t live with it. I just bought 6 boxes of it and people couldn’t believe it. Have to get it while it’s here. Don’t know what I would do with out it …..Can’t make stuffing with out it! Happy Holidays to all and thank goodness for BELL’S . Peggy
I have been married for over 60 years and used bell seasoning and where I live now I can not find it . I just used up the last of what I had .
Ask at your local store. Some places sell it only at Thanksgiving time. Some places let products that are very traditional fade away if we do not ask for it from the management.
You can get it on Amazn.
Amazon–oops
It has to be Bell’s or it isn’t stuffing! I do like cornbread stuffing as an alternate. The “secret” there is to use double (more or less according to taste) the amount of Bell’s seasoning!
I also love Bell’s Seasoning on my pan fried pork chops. Delicious!
If you are living in the southeast Publix has it in stock for the holidays.
Bell’s is a staple in my house and cooking! I use it in almost everything. Soups, sandwich salads, pork, poultry, fish and of course The Turkey! However, hate the box, almost always have to poke it open with a knife.
I think that’s part of the charm of it. (Cello tape is a necessity).
The holidays start when I buy a new box (or four) of Bell’s.
It’s only on sale in November in our local WalMart, and you can tell who of us are from New England when they open the cartons and put the little yellow boxes on display.
Mix mayo and Bell’s, and maybe a smidge of sour cream, to make a wicked sauce for turkey sandwiches. That’s good on warmed up stuffing, too.
I’m 73 my mother and my grandmother always used this…my gram used it in meatloaf always delicious…????
Is same box that’s used for turkey stuffing used in meatloaf?
There is only ONE Bell’s Seasoning. Isn’t that grand !
Just wouldn’t be a traditional Thanksgiving dinner if you didn’t have Bell’s seasoning to add to your bread stuffing in the turkey !! My grandmother introduced me to it, she was born in Nova Scotia !! My Mom always had it in her spice collection, she was born in Newton, Massachusetts. For years Mom had to mail it to me when I lived outside of New England. Seems popular enough now so that you can get it almost anywhere !!!
Love reading all the comments and tips,I use it in my stuffing on all turkey or chickens I bake and love it in soup! It adds that little something extra.Never tried it on meatloaf but certainly try it.Thanksgiving will be different in many ways this year,my heartfelt wishes to all and good health..think the Bells seasoning will add a little spice and warmth to our holiday!
Bells Seasoning has been a family tradition for us forever. It is a must in our stuffing and holiday cooking but I also use it year round in a lot of cooking. My family loves it when I use it as a dry rub on a pork loin roast, then add a couple of apple slices on top, delicious. I also use about a 1/2 – 1 teaspoon it my meatloaf. We live in Arlington Massachusetts but my daughter lived in Atlanta for about 10 years and every November I would have to mail her 3-4 boxes to last for another season of cooking. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Oh. Bell’s Seasoning, and Arlington, MA. Arlington was the home of my maternal grandparents, and always my truest home. How wonderful that you have both. Happy Thanksgiving !
I have lived in several countries and all over the US. The only place I could find Bell’s was up in New England. My mom would send Bell’s seasoning so I could have a little piece of home no matter where I was in the world.
It’s the one thing I always buy when we go back to MA! I might have 4 boxes in my pantry (and the stuffing mix). 😉
Bell’s Poultry Seasoning has one more great use. That is in the Fanny Farmer Cookbook recipe for chicken barbecue sauce. 1 egg, 1/2 cup cooking oil, 1 cup cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon (generous) Bell’s Poultry Seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. The recipe calls for sage, but Bell’s is far better. The recipe calls for basting the chicken on the grill, but we prefer to marinate the chicken overnight in the refrigerator and then baste on the grill. This recipe is a staple of church barbecue suppers everywhere in New England.
My family always depends on Bells seasoning also but another Must have is Gravy Master to make the best Turkey gravy!
Funny you should mention that. My mom always called it Master Gravy, so when I was shopping for my first Thanksgiving dinner as a newlywed I searched everywhere for Master Gravy! I finally went to borrow hers, and, of course……
The aroma of Bell’s instantly transports me back to my childhood memories of Thanksgiving and Christmas!