How To Preserve Dill at home? (Step by Step Guide)

 

 

Preserving dill at home is one of the best things you can do because you will use it for almost everything.

It is really a wonderful herb because regardless of its many health benefits, it does not require many steps when preserving it.

I use it in all recipes and foods, so I always make sure to have the right amount of it all the time.

If you are a fan of growing dill in the home garden, you may watch this short video that gives great information about its cultivation and also about some new uses.

 

 

Now let’s start with the ways that you can do to preserve dill at home.

 

How To Preserve Dill at home?

 

As a general rule, You can preserve dill at home by freezing or using salt or a dehydrator, and also by using air to dry it and then preserve it.

 

 

preserving dill has many ways and I will explain them all to you because I have done it myself many times and also I will share with you my personal opinion -I hope it will be useful- along with some uses for it after preserving.

 

1- Preserving Dill with Salt.

 

Preserving dill using salt is one of the very old methods and is also not widely spread.

I think that this method did not spread due to two reasons.

The first of which is that it is an old method, and with the presence of refrigerators and freezers, we relied more on freezing.

 

The second reason in my opinion is the use of salt in preservation, which may be unpopular for many people, especially since the aim of it is to preserve it is used in many recipes, and the presence of salt requires taking into account the change of some quantities.

It basically has salt and the salt should be reduced so that the salad is not too salty.

 

Personally, I like this method because I wash the dill well with water before using it and the taste of salt is not visible in it.

The method of preservation is very easy, all you have to do is to chop the dill into small pieces and add salt so that the weight of the chopped dill is twice the weight of the salt.

Then you can put it in a jar and stir in a cool place (temperature about 55 F).

This method preserves dill for up to 8 months.

 

2-Freezing Dill.

 

The second method that we will use in preserving dill is the most famous, which is freezing.

Freezing dill has many ways, starting from freezing it after cutting and also freezing it as it is without cutting the method is very easy, but there is a secret to getting freshly frozen dill.

 

The secret is that you must prepare dill for freezing because dill loses a lot of water during freezing, which makes its shape somewhat dark.

In order to get fresh dill after freezing, you must put the dill – before cutting – in a jar of water so that the dill absorbs water as much as possible.

This way dill retains the right amount of water when used and still tastes wonderful & fresh.

 

My way to freeze dill at home: I personally remove the dill branches, then I chop the dill, wash it, and put it in a food storage box in the freezer and it is valid for about a year.

 

Some people prefer to freeze dill as it is in the branches, but I noticed that when doing this method, the dill sticks in some of it and turns into a big lump, and is difficult to use.

If you want to preserve the dill in the branches, you must first spread it on a large tray and put it in the freezer for some time until it freezes, then collect it and put it in a tightly closed food storage box and then put it in the freezer again.

 

3-Preserving Dill Using Dehydrator.

 

Preserving dill using a dehydrator is also easy.

All you have to do in fact is wash the dill and put it in the dehydrator, but there are some tips that we can share with you in order to get a wonderful and healthy dried dill

 

 

1- Start by washing the dill well as it is in the branches
2- Spread the dill on a piece of cloth for 30 minutes until it dries up from the water
3- We will put the dill in the dehydrator as it is, without cutting
4- The recommended time for drying dill with a dehydrator is 4 hours or 5 hours at most
5- The temperature should not exceed 95 degrees Fahrenheit, and remember that the goal is to dry the dill, not cook it.
6- You should check the dill every two hours (the color should be green)
7- It is preferable to turn the shelves of the dehydrator every two hours to ensure the same degree of drying
8- After drying, let the dill cool for half an hour, then remove it from the stems and grind it.

 

 

This method is characterized as being fast, but in my personal opinion, the use of a dehydrator makes the dill somewhat tasteless as This is because the dehydrator evaporates the water in the dill through heat, but not only the water but also the oils in the dill.

So, I will share with you the traditional method that was used by our ancestors for thousands of years.

 

4-Preserving Dry Dill using Air drying.

 

The use of air to dry dill is one of the traditional methods well known in the past, which is still used in some Mediterranean countries
In fact, this method is one of the best ways to preserve the taste of dill and herbs in general, because it preserves the oils inside the dill and makes it get rid of water at the same time.

 

Therefore, after drying and grinding, you will get the original taste of dill in all the recipes that you use.

 

This method does not require any cost. All that is left is to tie the bundle of dill with a thread and hang it in a well-ventilated place, but it must be ensured that the place is not too sunny because the goal of this method is to dry the dill through the air and not the heat of the sun.

 

How to keep the Dill in the refrigerator longer?

 

There are some times you will buy a large amount of dill and you need to keep it in the refrigerator for a while because you will use it soon, I mean for a week or a little more.

 

One of the tips that I learned from my mother in order to increase the life of dill in the refrigerator is to put the dill in a clean, wet towel inside the refrigerator. This way, you can keep it in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

But I must make it clear that it is necessary to check it every few days to make sure it is still fresh.

 

Conclusion.

Depending on the type of your use of dill, you can choose the method that suits your needs.

If you want to preserve dill fresh for a long time, you can use one of the modern methods, such as freezing, or if you want to go back to the old traditional methods, you can use salt.

 

But if you want to preserve the dill dry, you can use a dehydrator as a modern way to preserve the dill at home or use the air as one of the traditional methods.

In order to keep the dill in the refrigerator for a long time, you can use a clean towel moistened with water and put dill inside it.

 

Useful Resouces.

 

What Is The Easiest Food To Preserve? Get Your Full Guide

 

External Resources.

How to Keep Dill Fresh