How to properly dry dill at home and where to store it
No summer salad is complete without dill. Shish kebab or grilled fish will not be as flavorful if you do not add this seasoning to them. How to preserve spicy herbs for a long time, so as to remember summer days in the cold? There is a solution - drying dill for the winter. This method will allow you to pamper yourself with aromatic dishes all year round and enrich your body with vitamins and beneficial microelements contained in greens.
Preparing for drying
Dill is one of the most popular herbs used by housewives all over the world. It is used in the preparation of many first and second courses and snacks. It occupies a special place in vegetable salads, giving them a unique smell and taste.
Before you start drying herbs, you need to know a few secrets of this process.
First of all, you should prepare the greens for drying.. To do this, select the freshest and greenest branches. You should not take yellowed or limp dill; dill collected after the start of flowering is not suitable for drying: it will spoil the finished product with an unpleasant odor. Dill umbrellas are also dried, but separately from the branches of young greenery. They are used for preparing marinades and pickling vegetables.
When cutting a plant for drying, make sure that there is no dew on it. When there is dew, the dill becomes saturated with excess moisture, which will subsequently spoil the appearance of the dried dill: it will turn black from excess moisture.
If you collect dill from your garden, you can skip the next stage of preparation.. If the greens were purchased at the market or in a store, be sure to wash them in cold water. To rid dill of nitrates, soak it in cold salt water for 5-10 minutes.
Attention! Do not wash greens in warm or hot water; this will cause them to lose their color after drying.
Remove the greens from the water and place them on a clean cotton towel., lightly blotting it on top. After this, transfer the dill to a dry towel and dry it. Under no circumstances should you do this on newspapers or sheets from magazines: dill will absorb all the toxins from the paint.
At this stage, the greens are ready to dry for the winter.. Now all that remains is to decide on the method that will be most convenient for you.
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How to dry it
Dill is dried in two ways: whole stems or chopped. When dried with whole branches, the greens retain a large amount of useful substances, and most importantly, essential oils. It is thanks to them that dill has a unique aroma, which, if properly dried at home, will delight you during the cold season.
If you decide to dry chopped greens, do not chop them very finely. Once the dill is dry, it will be easy to chop by simply rubbing it with your fingers. Before cutting the greens, it is better to remove the stems and dry only thin branches.
How to dry dill at home for the winter
How to dry dill correctly so that it does not lose its qualities and remains green? It contains a large amount of vitamins, microelements and essential oils. To maximize the preservation of all useful components of the product, select a convenient drying method for yourself.
Attention! Do not dry greens in direct sunlight to avoid loss of nutrients and taste.
There are several drying methods spices, let's look at them in more detail.
On air
The most common method of drying greens is in the air.. Using this method, greens are dried both vertically and horizontally.
Vertical drying
For drying in a vertical position collect the prepared twigs into small bunches of 5-6 pieces. Carefully tie each bunch with thread, without damaging the stems. Damaged stems will begin to rot during the drying process, which will spoil the appearance and taste of the product.
Next, hang the tied bundles at a short distance from each other in a dark, ventilated room.. In this form they will dry until ready. Make sure that there are no rotting twigs in the bunches during the drying process. If they do appear, remove them immediately.
Horizontal drying
To dry greens in a horizontal position, arrange the prepared branches thin layer on paper towels. In this form, both chopped greens and whole twigs are dried.
Place paper towels with dill in a ventilated, dark place, away from direct sunlight. Stir the greens occasionally to ensure even drying. In a few days, the dried dill will be ready.
In the oven
Another way to dry greens is in the oven.Since dill is a very delicate spice, at high temperatures it will burn and lose its beneficial substances and taste. That's why Greens should be dried in the oven at low temperatures, no more than 40°C. In this way, both whole branches and chopped dill are dried.
To dry using this method, place the prepared greens in one layer on a baking sheet., covered with baking paper. This is necessary so that the dill sprigs do not come into contact with the metal, which can cause them to darken. Place the pan in the oven, leaving the door slightly open. This will allow air to circulate, drying out the greens. Every 30-60 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and stir the dill, checking it for readiness.
The drying time of the product in the oven takes from two to four hours.
In the microwave
The fastest drying method - in a microwave oven. Both whole and chopped dill are suitable for this method.
Take a disposable paper or regular plate, previously covered with a paper towel. Place the prepared product on a plate, cover it with a paper towel and place in the microwave at maximum power for three minutes.
After this time, remove the dill from the microwave and determine its readiness. If the greens are not yet completely dry, stir them and place them back in the microwave for the same amount of time at maximum power.
In an electric dryer
An electric dryer (dehydrator) is a very popular device in housewives’ kitchens. One of its functions is drying herbs. To dry dill in it, spread the prepared greens in a thin layer on a tray and turn on the “Herbs” function. If this function is missing, simply turn on the electric dryer at 40°C.With this mode, the greens will be ready in three hours.
In a refrigerator
Another way is to dry the herbs in the refrigerator. This method is the longest, it takes 2-3 weeks.
Place whole or chopped dill on a flat dish or cutting board. Cover it with a paper towel or napkin and place it in the refrigerator on the top shelf. Don’t forget about the dill for the entire three weeks: periodically remove it from the refrigerator, turn it over, and if you find damaged branches, remove them to avoid spoiling the rest. Wipes should also be checked and replaced if necessary.
How to check readiness
The readiness of dried dill is very easy to check. Take a sprig or a pinch of the crushed product and try rubbing it between your fingers. If it crumbles, it means the drying is ready. You should continue the process if the dill becomes wrinkled in your hands.
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How and in what to store correctly
Proper storage of dried herbs is an important point. First of all, dried dill must be protected from bright light and direct sunlight, so place the dried spice in dark glass or porcelain jars. Containers must be hermetically sealed. Tin cans, paper bags and linen bags are also used for storage.
If you do not have such a container, place the dried dill in a glass jar and store it in the kitchen cabinet.
Important! Do not place containers with dried herbs over the cooking surface to avoid drying them out.
What to do to prevent dill from turning yellow when dried
With any of the drying methods listed, you may experience yellowing of the finished product.. How can I make it stay green? Unfortunately, yellowed dried dill no longer contains enough vitamins and microelements. To avoid this, the drying process must be carefully controlled.
When dill is naturally dried in air, yellowness is formed due to overdrying., that is, when the greens are left outdoors for too long. Monitor the readiness of the product and put it in a storage jar on time.
When drying greens in the oven, microwave and electric dryer, this effect is obtained from high temperatures. It is necessary to monitor the temperature and periodically check readiness by stirring the greens. When using the microwave, make sure the dill is covered with a paper towel or napkin.
Advantages and disadvantages
So, the greens are dried, put in jars for storage and ready for use. Now let's figure out how healthy dried dill is and whether everyone can eat it.
Benefits of dried product:
- long shelf life;
- high content of useful microelements and vitamins, thanks to which dill strengthens the immune system;
- does not contain nitrates;
- normalizes metabolic processes in the body due to the high content of essential oils;
- increases appetite;
- lowers blood pressure;
- suppresses depression;
- normalizes sleep;
- infusions and decoctions of dill normalize the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and prevent gallbladder diseases.
Disadvantages of a dried product:
- dill is contraindicated for hypotensive patients;
- It is undesirable for people with renal failure;
- an excess of spices in a pregnant woman’s diet negatively affects the condition of the fetus;
- high content of essential oils can cause an allergic reaction.
Important! When cooking, do not add too much dried spice so as not to spoil the dish with its very rich taste.
Dry or freeze
Dill is famous for its large number of macro- and microelements, vitamins A, B, C and E and essential oils. All these components are preserved in greater volume when the greens are dried. Frozen spice loses significantly more nutrients. Therefore, the answer to the question of what is better: drying or freezing dill is clear: drying the herb rather than freezing it is most optimal.
Reference. The calorie content of dried dill is 250 kcal per 100 g of product.
When using a dried product, the main thing is to remember the dosage. Only a moderate amount of greens will add flavor and aroma to the dish, otherwise it will overwhelm all other odors.
The shelf life of dried dill is much longer than frozen. Dried spices can be stored for two years without losing their beneficial or tasteful qualities, while frozen spices can be stored for no more than one year.
Conclusion
By adopting the methods of drying dill and using our tips, you will provide yourself with a healthy and tasty seasoning for the whole year. Remember that dried dill has a more concentrated taste and smell than fresh dill. When using herbs during cooking, watch the quantity. Dried herbs are also used in folk medicine to make various medicinal decoctions.