If you plant more than you need for daily use in the summer, fresh dill weed is great when dried for the winter. We pick it regularly (it encourages growth too) and dry it for use in the winter (we still add it to our salads, even if it’s dried). For the best flavor, it’s important to dry your dill correctly.
How do you keep dill over winter?
Wash and dry the dill, chop it, and portion the chopped dill into ice cube trays. Fill the trays with just enough water to cover the dill. Place the ice cube trays in the freezer and allow them to freeze completely. Once frozen, remove the ice cubes and store them in a plastic freezer bag for later use.
How do you prepare dill for winter?
Freezing dill is an easy kitchen activity: First, wash the dill in cold water and shake or pat dry. Then lay the sprigs out on a cookie sheet and pop them into the freezer to flash freeze them. When the dill sprigs are all frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag and return it to the freezer.
What do you do with an abundance of fresh dill?
25+ Bright & Fresh Recipes to Use Up a Bunch of Dill
- 1 / 28. Baked Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce.
- 2 / 28. Ukrainian Dill Potatoes.
- 3 / 28. Shaved Beet & Carrot Salad with Sumac & Dill.
- 4 / 28. Dill Dip.
- 5 / 28. Crunchy Spring Salad with Dill Dressing.
- 6 / 28. Broiled Zucchini with Yogurt-Dill Sauce.
- 7 / 28.
- 8 / 28.
What do you do with dill at the end of the season?
Dill is an annual, so at the end of the season, you can simply cut it at the base of the stem. Use pruning shears to cut off the plant. Cut the dill in the morning to ensure the plant has moisture. You want the plant to be hydrated it when you cut it.
Does dill come back every year?
Dill does not come back from the same plant every year, it is a short-lived annual. However, it does tend to self-sow as the flowers dry and drop seeds, so new plants may sprout the following spring.
Can I freeze fresh dill heads?
Dill weed is a delicious herb that goes well with a variety of dishes. If you happen to have too much of this plant on hand, you can extend its shelf life and flavor by placing it in the freezer.
Can you grow dill all year round?
Dill is a biennial plant, and so dies right back to the ground in winter, reappearing in the spring. However, harsh winters can kill the plant altogether. Of course, if you grow dill indoors in a container you can keep it going all year round.
What part of the dill plant do you use?
dill leaves
The fronds are the part of the plant that you use most often, and unlike some other herbs, you can use a whole lot of dill leaves without overpowering a dish. Dill plays well with other members of its family, like fennel, celery, and carrots.
Should I let my dill flower?
In order to ensure a season-long fresh supply of dill, continue sowing seeds every few weeks. For an extended harvest of the leaves, do not allow flowers to grow on the plants. If dill is allowed to go to seed and the soil isn’t disturbed too much, more dill plants will likely appear next spring.
How do you harvest dill without killing the plant?
Using a pair of scissors, snip the stems of the leaves, right where they meet the growth point on the main stem. You can do this by hand as well, by pinching the stems off, especially if the plant’s stems are young and tender.
How do you harvest and store dill?
Dill weed is preserved by drying the leaves, seeds or entire stem of the herb. Use pruners or sharp scissors when harvesting dill weed for drying. Cut just the leafy foliage or remove entire stems to dry for canning and seeds. Remove the stems when the seeds are brown and ripe.
What is dill used for in medicine?
Dill is a medicinal herb that has been used for more than 2000 years. The fruits (seeds) are carminative, stomachic, digestive, and tranquilizing, and have been traditionally used for treating stomach ailments, colic, hiccups, bad breath, flatulence, and hemorrhoids.
When should dill be cut back?
Start pruning your dill when plants are about six to eight inches (15 to 20 centimeters) tall. To prune, use a pair of herb scissors or even just a regular old pair of scissors and snip the frond-like leaves from the top of the plant, above a leaf set.
When should I trim my dill?
A small number of dill leaves or a couple of stems can be harvested early on, but wait until the plant matures before pruning it heavily. About 8-weeks from the time seeds are planted is when the plant will reach maturity and be ready for heavy, over-all pruning.
How do you wash and dry fresh dill?
Rinse the dill fronds and flower heads with water to remove dust and insects. Shake the herb gently to remove most of the moisture. Thoroughly dry the dill by allowing it to hang upside down to maintain the best shape. You can also lay it out on an absorbent material, such as layers of paper towels.
Can you eat dill that has flowered?
The flowers have a slightly stronger flavor than the leaves and can be used in any recipe as a substitute. Dill blossoms can also be used in conjunction with the leaves, enhancing the appearance and texture of a dish.
How long will my dill plant last?
2 years
Dill is a biennial warm-season herb, very sensitive to light-freezes and frost. Dill is not technically a perennial plant because a single plant only lives 2 years. It is quite proficient at self-seeding (if allowed). If left to grow naturally, A single dill plant should come back year after year.
What to do with dill that has gone to seed?
The flowers will develop into pungent seeds, commonly used in canning and pickling. To harvest the seeds, let the flower turn brown and the seeds turn from green to tan. Snip off the head and hang it upside down in a dry, warm location to finish maturing.
How long does dried dill last?
Properly stored, dried dill weed will generally stay at best quality for about 2 to 3 years. To maximize the shelf life of dried dill weed purchased in bulk, and to better retain flavor and potency, store in containers with tight-fitting lids.
How do you save dill seeds?
Preserving Dill
To harvest dill seeds, wait until the seeds start to turn brown; as the seed clusters gain weight, they may need staking to keep them high and dry. Gather the ripe seed heads by clipping them into a paper bag, and place the bag in a warm, dry place indoors for a week or more.