Dill can be stored loosely wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator for a few days. If you have room and want to keep your dill around a little longer, you can place the bunched dill in a glass of water like a bouquet of flowers, wrap the whole thing in plastic, and place it in the fridge.
For even longer storage, you can freeze dill: Pulse or finely chop in a food processor. Add just enough water to turn the leaves into a paste, then spoon into an ice cube tray and freeze. Once you have frozen dill ice cubes, move them to a freezer storage container. These are great to pop into a soup!
Dill, sometimes known as dill weed, is an herb in the celery family. The feathery green herb’s leaves are long, soft, and very thin. Dill has a sweet, grassy taste with a hint of licorice. At Harmony Valley Farm, we grow dill starting with our first weekly plantings in April, and end plantings at the end of August. Dill harvest normally ends around the end of September.
Dill is a popular herb used worldwide, and plays a key role in many traditional recipes everywhere from Russia to India and Egypt to Sweden. There are many countries that combine dill with either butter or cream and use it as a topping on potatoes. Dill is also a popular ingredient to mix into sauces and soups. Stuffed cabbage and omelets can also feature dill as a filling. If cooking dill sounds like too much of a hassle, it can also be added to any fresh salad or used as a garnish. Of course, you can always use dill to create pickles, as well!
Dill is best fresh, as it can lose its potency quickly when dried. While cooking with fresh dill, you are going to want to add it in as a last step, since it will lose flavor through the cooking process as well.
Dill pairs well with potatoes, cabbage, cucumbers, mushrooms, fish, especially salmon, seafood, yogurt, cream, butter, cheese, eggs, and other herbs such as parsley, chives and basil.
Health & Nutrition: Dill has been used in traditional medicines to treat ailing stomachs, as well as colic in infants.
Additional Fun Facts: The scientific name for dill is Anethum graveolens, and it is the only species in the genus Anethum. This tidbit is doubly interesting as the Latin name for the genus ultimately comes from a Greek word that means both dill and anise.
