Dill Fresh And Dried

General Information For The Herb Dill

Scientific name - Anethum graveolens
Common name - Dill
Planting time - Spring
Bloom time - Summer
Uses - Ornamental, Culinary, Medicinal

Dill is an Herb that often is referred to as dill weed, so as not to be confused with dill seed. Dill weed is most often used when cooking fish, and Dill seed is used when canning or pickling.

Dill weed is actually the leaf of the dill plant, whereas dill seed ,are the seeds of the dill plant as the name implies. The seeds of the dill plant are found in the flower head.

Dill leaves need to be used fresh, they tend to lose their flavor rapidly if they are dried; even when leaves are freeze-dried they have very little flavor. So It is necessary to grow a supply of plants, or to purchase fresh rather than store the leaves.

The blue-green fronds of fresh dill leaves will add a sweetly aromatic flavor to many cooked vegetables, especially carrots, green beans, corn, and tomatoes, or added to grilled fish and a green salad as well as a cucumber salad. The spicy seeds of the dill are used to flavor pickles.

A few cooking Tips using dill.

Dip Or Spread

To make a really refreshing and low fat dip or spread for crackers or toasted bread cubes. Pour an 8-ounce carton of plain yogurt into a paper coffee filter and let it drain into a pan in the refrigerator overnight. Discard liquid. Mix the yogurt cheese with a few tablespoons of chopped dill leaf and chives.

Sweet Corn

Take fresh sweet corn, just steamed, and cut corn from the cob and top with fresh dill leaf and a light dusting of paprika and fresh ground pepper.

Baby Potatoes

Using steamed baby potatoes, top with a mixture of plain yogurt and chopped dill leaf.

Fresh Vegetables

Cut green zucchini, yellow summer squash and white onions into 1-inch chunks. Braise until tender in a little chicken broth, then toss with a handful of chopped fresh dill leaf and a little butter.

Grilled Chicken Breast

Remove skins, seeds and chop 4-6 fresh tomatoes and sauté them in 3 tablespoons of olive oil for 10 to 15 minutes. Season with a pinch of sea salt and a big handful of fresh dill and serve over grilled chicken.

You can buy already started dill herb plants from the garden center or your local nursery, these herbs have been already started and all you need to do is plop them into a plot in the garden. but because dill is one of the easiest plants to grow, they are very simple to just go ahead and start them from seed. The leaves of the dill plant are feathery, and the flowers are yellow. They are very pretty in the garden and some people use them as a cutting flower and use them in flower arrangements. Dill is a wonderful addition in the herb garden as it is very useful in the kitchen.

Planting Dill

It is best to plant dill during the cool weather. In areas where the winters are warmer and do not experience the hard frost, you can plant dill in the fall or the winter. In areas that are cooler, then you should plant dill in the spring, about a week or two before the last hard frost. For continuous growth, you could plant again every two or three weeks. Dill will often re-seed itself in the garden However, it is considered an annual.

Sow your seeds directly in the garden, they can be sown close to each other, as this allows the growing plants to support each other. Cover the seeds lightly with soil and they will start to germinate in a week or two.

Dill should be planted where it will receive full sun. Dill grows well in most soils . A garden bed that has been prepared with plenty of organic matter such as compost would be ideal. Dill grows up to 3 feet tall. Keep in mind that because dill grows so tall it should be planted toward the back of your herb garden.

Easy to grow , it is tasty as well as attractive when adding fresh clean sprig onto the serving dish.