Fresh Dill Weed has to be one of my favourite herbs, especially when picked straight from the garden.
Having fresh dill on hand is convenient and if you are growing your own, here are some helpful tips on how to preserve your dill weed for future dishes.
Dill weed can be used both fresh and dried. When cut from the plant, usually we like to store fresh dill in a ziplock bag in our refrigerator but just after 2 to 3 days, you notice wilting. So unless you plan to do a lot of pre-made meals using dill, the best way to preserve your herbs would be to either freeze it or dry it.
Freezing Method
Freezing the dill weed preserves the flavours better than drying and it is so simple to do.
- First, wash the dill in cold water, place onto a piece of dry paper towel and pat dry.
- Then take the dill sprigs and lay them out on a cookie sheet and place them into the freezer until frozen.
- Once frozen, place the dill into ziplock bags. I like to date the bags so that I know when I packaged them. Sometimes I have such an abundance of dill weed from each year's crop, that I need to date my herbs so I know what to use first.
Drying Method
Dried dill weed is the more convenient way of preserving your herbs. For storing, you can just keep the dried herb in sealed glass jars within your pantry. Keeping your herbs and spices in a cool, dry place will prolong your herbs for years of use.
- Take small bunches and hang them upside down in a warm, dry room, and leave them there until they feel dry to the touch. It may take a week or two for them to dry completely.
- Once the bunches are dry, take a cookie sheet for placing the dried herbs onto. Run your hands along the sprigs to strip the dill from the stems.
- Gather all the dried dill that fell onto the cookie sheet and transfer it to an air-tight container. I find the best containers to use are reusing jars from jams, spreads, etc and store it with the rest of your dried herbs and spices.
