What is Dill?

All of these years I thought I knew what dill was. I knew what it looked like dried in a store bought spice jar. There is very little aroma and no flavor. Lately, I’ve been trying to learn more about food. I researched it. I thought I would share a quick description of what I found.

Dill is a herb that grows annually. It grows 16-24″ tall with leaves that are 4-8″ long. The leaves are delicate and look like a small fern. It grows best on warm to hot summer days. The plants’ flowers are white and yellow when blooming. This plant is part of the celery family. It is a companion plant to cucumbers and broccoli. It is a very aromatic herb. Fresh or dried it loses its’ flavor quicker than other herbs.

Dill is a favorite in Eurasia cuisine. It’s a wonderful spice found in recipes from Scandinavia, The Baltic States, Russia, and Finland. It has become a very popular culinary herb with chefs around the world. The seeds and leaves are mostly used as a seasoning in recipes for fish, sauces, and soups. Some vegetable dishes that use dill are potatoes, mushrooms, and salads.

While growing up, I thought that dill was only used to make pickles. Pickles were my favorite food as a kid. Even now pickles are a go-to snack for me. I especially love the kosher dills.

Let’s Get Dehydrating:

Fresh baby dill

Freshly bought baby dill.

Loaded on a tray

I rinsed and dried off the branches with paper towels.

Ready to dry

I place the herb on the tray and it is ready to dry.

Dehydrator

Dehydrate at 90-110 degrees for 6 to 8 hours. I use a NESCO FD-60 Snack Master Express Food.

Vacuum seal the mason jar

When done, I store the bulk of my dill in a 1/2 pint mason jar. Then, I vacuum seal the mason jar to keep the herbs fresh. I add some to my spice jar to use right away.

I use a Seal a Meal vacuum sealer with the Food Saver vacuum lid regular and wide mouth accessory.

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What dishes do you like to use dill in?