One famous herb in Asian and European cuisines is the dill, also known as the dill weed herb. This herb has feather-like green leaves, and oval fruits called dill seed spice. Like celery, dill can replant itself, which is perfect for anyone who wants fresh herbs in their kitchen.
One good thing about dill is that you can use both its leaves and seed as a seasoning. The dill weed herb itself can be added raw or dried. But for this article, we’ll talk about how to dry dill so you can preserve it and use it for months to come.
Before learning how to dry dill, learn the basics!
Before you head out to your kitchen and start drying your dill, it is good to know a few more information about this amazing herb. Take a look at this list!
- It belongs to the Apiaceae family, like celery and parsley.
- It is famous in Nordic, European, and Asian cuisine.
- It has a sweet grassy flavor, particularly an anise-like licorice taste.
- You can use its seed as a spice, which tastes like a little caraway.
Many ask if dill has the health benefits of any nutrients. Surprisingly, it has! Dill contains flavonoids, which are essential in reducing your risk of stroke and other heart diseases. Even on animals, dill can reduce LDL cholesterol levels.
Aside from that, it is also packed with calcium, manganese, iron, and antioxidants.
How to prepare dill before drying?
So, you get fresh dill from your garden and plan to dry it. How do you do so?
Your goal here is to clean your dill weeds. So just cut the dill out of its stem and get rid of any yellow or brown leaves. After that, rinse it with cool water.
If you own a salad spinner, use it to dry your dill weeds. But if you don’t have to pat it dry with a towel. Just press it lightly and dry it to the best that you can.
After that, you’re free to choose what drying method you will use!
4 Ways how to dry drill
There are different ways how to dry dill, and it’s up to you what you’ll choose.
1. Air drying
This method is the simplest of them all. It has no equipment, but you need lots of patience and time here.
Although it requires waiting time, air drying is the best option if you want to enjoy a more intense flavor.
So, how do you air-dry dill?
- Cut the dill’s bottom part, leaving only about 1 to 2 inches of stem.
- Collect the dill weeds in a bundle and tie them all using rubber bands.
- Hang the dill bundle upside down in a dry, dark, and well-ventilated location.
- You must wait two weeks for your dill to dry.
Once dried, remove the dried dill leaves in its stem and put them in an airtight container.
If you don’t have a dehydrator, oven, or microwave at home and you’re willing to wait, air drying is for you.
2. Dehydrator
This next method needs a dehydrator. It’s indeed faster than air drying, but dehydrators can be expensive.
But for those with a dehydrator at home, here’s how to dry dill using this equipment.
- Cut your dill into smaller portions, perfect to fit in the tray of your dehydrator.
- Place your dill weeds on the dehydrator and set it between 95 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
- The total time depends on how fresh your dill is and the humidity of your environment. But on average, it would take 4 to 6 hours to dry dill using a dehydrator.
- Once dried, put the dried dill in an airtight container and put it in a cool dark place.
Drying dill with food dehydrators is a good idea. They’re indeed expensive, but they are energy efficient. Likewise, they effectively keep the herb’s flavor and other food you plant dry.
3. Oven drying
Oven drying is almost similar to drying dill using a dehydrator. But we can all agree that more people have ovens than a dehydrator. So, here’s how to dry dill using an oven!
- Set your oven between 150 to 200F or at its lowest setting. You need to preheat it and then turn it off.
- Place your cut dill weeds on a baking sheet and direct in the oven with the lights on.
- Come back after 20 to 30 minutes, and then check every 15 minutes if it’s already dry.
- Once dried, remove the dill from the oven and give it some time to cool.
- Once cooled, put it in an airtight container.
Oven drying is a quick and effective way how to dry dill. It’s also a nice method to ensure that there’s no mold or bacteria on the herb.
4. Microwave
Our last method is drying dill in the microwave. This is the quickest one among all methods we have here. But you must closely monitor it because you don’t want to burn your dill weeds.
So how do you dry dill using a microwave?
- After ensuring that your dill weeds are clean and dry, put them in the microwave.
- You can set the settings to high for two minutes with 30-second intervals.
- You can check if the leaves are crisp or dry and then rotate the plate when necessary.
- Be sure to monitor it because the dill will become bitter if overcooked.
- Store your dried dill in an airtight container.
The microwave method is the fastest way to dry it. However, it’s also the method that can cause uneven drying and will lose some of its essential oils. Consequently, it can be less flavorful than air-dried dill.
Dry your dill today!
There are different ways how to dry dill, and these methods are pretty much the same when drying lavender. Now, the decision depends on you.
If you have time to wait, we recommend air-drying your dill. This way, you can still enjoy a strong flavor. But if you’re in a rush, we recommend getting an oven instead if you don’t have a dehydrator at home.
Whatever you choose, always remember that drying dill is an easy task. It won’t stress you out, and once you have dried them, you can now enjoy a month-long supply of dill herbs for your dishes!