Fresh dill all year round: how to prepare and preserve vitamin greens

Dill, especially fresh, can improve the taste of almost any dish, be it a salad, soup or hot dish, which is why no garden can do without this aromatic herb. It is difficult to name dishes that dill does not go well with. It is not added except to desserts. This type of greenery enhances meat, fish, and vegetables. It’s impossible to imagine okroshka or seasonal salad without it. But, in order to preserve all its beneficial properties not only for cooking, but also for health, it is important to know how to store it correctly so that it remains fresh and aromatic for a long time. The article will tell you about the conditions for storing greens and how to keep dill fresh for a long time.

Keep it fresh

An ordinary household refrigerator is quite suitable for keeping bunches of any greenery in it for a short time.

If you are not going to store fresh dill for a long time, then:

1. Take a bunch and put it in a jar. There is no need to wash the plants or trim the roots.
2. Pour some clean water into the jar and cover the leaves with a plastic bag.
3. Place the jar on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.

In this case, the greens will not wither or turn yellow, but will remain juicy for 1-2 weeks.

You can store fresh dill in the kitchen for longer. If the garden is far away, then a piece of it can be transferred to the windowsill. Dig up young dill with roots, without destroying the earthen ball, and plant it in a flower pot. This will decorate the kitchen window sill and extend the time of use of the greenery. [flat_ab id=”28"]

Do you know that…

Some people try to grow dill from seeds on a windowsill. This is possible, but only in summer, and in winter you need powerful illumination with a phytolamp.

Although dill is sold all year round, summer dill contains 2 times more vitamin C than winter greenhouse
If you need dill throughout the winter, then use other options for storing it. Use:

• freezing;
• drying;
• pickling.

Dill: description

Dill belongs to the Celery family. Essential oils give the plant a specific smell and taste. Dill contains ascorbic acid, calcium, iron, mineral salts, and also many vitamins: K, A, E, D, H, B1-B12. Low calorie content (43 kcal), less than 2 grams of fat, proteins (3.5 g), carbohydrates (4.9 g).

The spice is beneficial for the human body. It satisfies hunger well and activates all processes of the digestive tract. Dill should be consumed by people with problems with the cardiovascular system. Due to the fact that the calorie content is low, many women use the plant as an aid to burning extra pounds.

Important! Harvesting of greenery should be carried out in June, before the release of umbrellas, so that all the beneficial properties are preserved in the plant.

Preparing for winter storage

Before choosing any of these storage methods, the plants must first be properly prepared:

• Rinse the greens purchased or collected from your plot under running water. Another option: place the stems in a deep bowl filled with water. Keep there for 10-15 minutes, and then rinse in the same way under a gentle stream of water.
• Then place dry towels on the kitchen table, spread the green stems on them in a thin layer, cover with paper napkins and let the moisture dry naturally.

Now the greens are completely ready for further processing.

How to pickle dill correctly

For those who are going to pickle dill for the first time, we can recommend a simple classic recipe. It’s simple and the dill turns out great. For salting you will need:

• salt 250 grams;
• dill 1 kilogram.

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Wash each leaf and dry.
2. The prepared bushes are finely cut with a knife and mixed with salt.
3. The gruel needs to sit for several hours. The color will change and the mixture will become darker.
4. All that remains is to prepare the jars, sterilize and place the resulting pulp in them.

This salting method is simple, since you don’t need to make a special brine; you can do it in half an hour.
The jars should be stored in the refrigerator or cellar. If there is a lot of dill, then the proportions must be observed: the optimal ratio of dill and salt is 1 to 4.

There is an option for pickling in a marinade using citric acid:

• 0.5 kg of dill, cut into small pieces;
• 22–25 grams of lemon;
• 3 bay leaves;
• 1 teaspoon salt;
• 0.5 spoons of sugar;
• a glass of vegetable oil.

Mix all ingredients except dill and boil for 8 minutes. Place the plant in jars and fill with marinade. The jars should be sterilized within 10 minutes. To do this, place a cotton towel on the bottom of a large pan and place the workpieces on it. Then fill with water so that it reaches the hangers of the cans. The pan is put on fire. After sterilization, they are rolled up, turned over and allowed to cool. Store in a cool place: in the basement or underground.

We recommend:

How long can soup be stored in the refrigerator: terms and conditions

Freezing – saving vitamins

It is best to freeze dill greens in the freezer. Here it can easily lie for 1 year without loss of quality and taste.

The beneficial properties of dill are preserved 100% when frozen.

Entirely

Here's how to properly freeze dill for the winter:

1. Place the dried stems, whole branches, in the freezer for 2 hours.
2. Then remove and place in small portions in perforated polyethylene bags; alternatively, use cling film.
3. Place the bags back into the freezer.

In winter, take out frozen dill and immediately use it for cooking.

Sliced

Here's another way to freeze dill in the refrigerator for the winter. The basis here is chopped greens. For preparation:

1. Cut the washed and dried plants into small, 0.5-1 cm pieces.
2. Place the mixture in bags or airtight containers in a thick layer.
3. Place the preparations in the freezer.

In winter it is very convenient to get such semi-finished products and use them for their intended purpose.

Ice cubes

You can also store aromatic and healthy greens in the refrigerator for the winter in ice cubes, as in the picture below.

For this:

1. Cut the dried stems into small pieces no more than 0.5 cm wide.
2. Place in small portions into ice cube trays, filling them only 2/3 full.
3. Fill the cutting containers with water to the brim.
4. Place the molds in the freezer.

Remove the finished product from the refrigerator as needed and add to first courses as a seasoning.

Tip of the day

During storage, do not subject the semi-finished product to repeated freezing and thawing. This will ruin the taste of the product.

Conditions for storing dill at home

Cut dill does not tolerate sun or warm air. It instantly becomes soft, limp, and is not suitable for decorating dishes. The optimal temperature is from +1 to +5 degrees. Corresponds to the parameters of refrigeration chambers.

The second point is humidity. The branches become soft and wither. With excessive wetting, the stems become covered with a slimy coating and begin to rot. Requires delicate irrigation and wetting.

In what form do you use dill in winter?

In freshIn dried

It’s easy to keep fresh, juicy dill for as long as possible in the refrigerator. The greens will not lose their properties for up to 30 days. Shelf life at room temperature is 3-5 days. We recommend immediately freezing and drying any excess.

Salting - we prepare for future use

If you want to preserve dill for the winter at home longer, try pickling it:

1. Dry the washed greens with napkins to remove excess moisture.
2. Trim the roots and remove thick petioles, leaving only young green twigs.
3. Finely chop the prepared greens.
4. Sprinkle it with salt in a ratio of 2 parts dill to 1 part salt and place tightly in clean, sterile jars.
5. Sprinkle a layer of salt on top.
6. Close the containers tightly with a nylon lid.
7. Keep jars in the refrigerator.

This method of harvesting dill for the winter allows you to preserve it without loss of quality until the spring of next year.

Salted dill is an excellent soup dressing and fragrant seasoning for potatoes or various cereals

Tip of the day

Remember that this seasoning is very salty, so you need to salt the prepared dishes very carefully.

Preparatory stage

In order to preserve the aroma and natural taste of greens longer, it is important to properly prepare the harvest. Follow simple rules:

• carefully sort through the stems , removing spoiled and yellowed leaves;
• do not wash the branches if you are going to store the dill in the refrigerator;
• to remove dirt, simply shake off the greens or wipe them with a dry cloth ;
• -dry the wet dill by blotting it with a paper or waffle towel.

If you take these recommendations into account, fresh herbs will be prepared correctly and, under suitable conditions, stored for a month or longer. Depending on your needs, the grass can be placed in a plastic, cellophane or glass container. We will describe below what storage methods there are.

Drying - easy and long lasting

Another proven recipe for preserving dill for the winter is to dry it. This method of harvesting greens for future use allows for the longest storage of the product, and at home you have several options to choose from. In addition, dried dill is convenient to use when preparing various dishes.

Naturally

So, plants can be dried with whole stems. For this:

1. Carefully sort the greens, remove spoiled parts, cut off the roots.
2. Rinse the branches under running water and dry them.
3. Tie 10 to 15 stems together and hang them in a dark, cool, ventilated area.
4. When they are dry, put the workpiece in boxes or fabric bags.

In the same way, you can dry the branches of a flowering plant along with umbrellas, and then add them to dishes as a seasoning in the winter months.

Dry chopped dill is a classic of the genre. It's very easy to prepare:

1. Take fresh plants and cut off all the thick stems.
2. Finely chop the remaining branches on a cutting board.
3. Scatter the chopped herbs on the table, cover it with a towel.
4. After 1-2 hours, spread the dill in a dry room on paper in a thin layer.
5. Turn it over occasionally to ensure complete drying.

Drying is the best way to preserve the aroma of dill

Collect dry dill and place in a container for further storage.

In the oven

Drying in the oven is another way to provide yourself with vitamins throughout the winter:

1. Finely chop and place the dill in a thin layer on a baking sheet.
2. Place the sheet in a warm (not higher than 50 °C) oven with the door ajar.
3. During drying, stir the dill regularly so that it does not burn, but dries out on all sides.
4. Let the workpiece cool.

Place it in prepared containers.

How to store dried dill

To ensure that the seasoning you prepare yourself remains aromatic and does not spoil, it is useful to know how to store dried dill.

• Glass jars with tight-fitting lids work best for this. This way, foreign odors, which are abundant in the kitchen, will not penetrate the product.
• Sunlight can cause the greens to fade, so keep the containers in a table or cabinet, behind a closed door.

You can preserve dill for the winter at home without any problems. Use each of the suggested methods to find out in practice what you like best.

Store correctly and be healthy!

How to store longer without refrigeration?

Drying

One way to preserve dill for a long time is to dry it. Dry herbs are stored in glass or porcelain containers in a dry, dark place. You can store such preparations in the kitchen cabinet.

Advantages and disadvantages

The big advantage of dried seasoning is its long shelf life and better aroma retention. But every month the aroma becomes less pronounced.

This method is especially good if there is no freezer or there is little space in it. But it won't work if you don't have room to dry it.

How to dry it properly?

To better preserve the aroma, the spice is dried entirely. Then it is crushed.

There are several ways to dry dill:

• On air. The leaves are spread in a thin layer on a flat surface and mixed periodically. The main condition is the absence of direct sunlight.
• In the oven. The temperature should be less than forty degrees. The door is left ajar and drying is carried out for four hours. The dill is stirred periodically. It is advisable that the oven has a fan mode.
• In the microwave. The shoots are placed between napkins and dried at maximum temperature for about three minutes. If necessary, repeat the procedure.
• In an electric dryer. For three hours, the greens are dried in the grass mode. If there is no such mode, the temperature is set to about forty degrees and dried until ready.

How long does the quality last?

Dried dill can be stored for up to two years. After this period, the spice loses its quality.

How to use?

Dry dill is a universal spice. It combines with almost all products:

1. meat;
2. fish;
3. vegetables;
4. cottage cheese;
5. cheese;
6. eggs.

The spice is added to salads, first and second courses. This is an indispensable spice in the kitchen.

Help: adding dry dill to dishes makes them aromatic and enhances the taste.

How to properly dry greens

Drying is a proven recipe that allows you to preserve a plant for a long time without making any special effort. This harvesting method allows for one of the longest product storage times. At home, housewives have several options available. Dried herbs are convenient to use when preparing both first and second courses.

You can dry it naturally. To do this, it is dried with whole stems . It looks like this:

1. 
   Carefully sort the greens, remove damaged parts, and be sure to cut off the roots.

2. Rinse the branches under clean water and dry on a paper towel.
3. Tie the stems together in fifteen pieces and hang them in a cool, dark place with good ventilation.
4. After the branches dry, simply put them in fabric bags or boxes.

Useful tips

Any of the described methods of harvesting dill is not particularly complicated and is suitable even for those who are not used to drying or freezing herbs for the winter. True, even in this simple task there are several nuances, knowledge of which will help simplify the task as much as possible and eliminate the possibility of losing a large amount of nutrients or rapid withering of the green part of the dill.

In this case, the following precautions must be taken into account:

• cut dill branches should not be left in direct sunlight, the effect of which negatively affects the color saturation of the plant and contributes to its rapid drying out;
• When freezing dill, always dry the sprigs thoroughly, and if you decide to put the plant in the vegetable compartment, use plastic bags that preserve the natural aroma;
• It is advisable to store the seeds of the plant away from other spices or food preparations that can absorb their strong odor;
• You can also dry dill umbrellas in glass containers, where they will remain for further storage;
• If possible, avoid secondary freezing of dill, and if this does happen, make sure that when repeating the procedure, all the branches are dry and do not stick together into one lump.

Did you know? An ordinary onion will help preserve greens for a long time.
It is not difficult to prepare such a preparation, and all that is required of you is to place half of the cut fruit in a closed container with dill sprigs. No matter how you decide to prepare dill, in any case, with its help you can provide yourself with healthy herbs for a long time. The main thing is to check the condition of the workpiece in a timely manner and prevent it from becoming waterlogged or, especially, rotting.