How to freeze dill for the winter in the freezer: methods of preparation and further use

Every housewife sooner or later has a question about how to preserve the freshness and aroma of summer fruits, vegetables, berries and, of course, herbs. With fruits and vegetables everything is clear: preserves, compotes, jams, salads, snacks. But what to do with greens, how to preserve the freshness and nutrients of this product? The best option is freezing. In this article you will learn how to properly freeze dill at home.

Dill is a universal spice

Dill - the most popular and frequently used herb among housewives around the world. It is a hit in every kitchen due to its amazing aroma and taste. In the summer, not a single salad can do without this seasoning.

Dill contains:

• nicotinic and ascorbic acids;
• pectin substances;
• potassium;
• calcium;
• iron;
• phosphorus;
• essential oils.

Herbs have a unique smell thanks to the essential oils contained in large quantities in their composition.

Constant use of dill in the diet improves digestion, stimulates appetite, normalizes metabolism, removes toxins and waste from the body. Dill is a tonic for blood vessels, prevents the development of atherosclerosis, normalizes activity of cardio-vascular system.

Dill normalizes the functioning of the bile and diuretic functions of the body. It has been proven that regular consumption of greens in food prevents the formation of cancer cells.

Many cosmetologists use dill in their work. For example, frozen spice in ice serves as a facial tonic for women.

With all the positive qualities of the spice, its use is associated with one problem - namely, how to keep it fresh for the entire winter season, with all the useful microelements, taste and appetizing appearance?

There are several storage methods:

• drying;
• pickling;
• freezing

The last method is the most convenient in terms of preparation and storage. Also, this method preserves the maximum amount of useful microelements and essential oils.

Preparing dill for freezing

How to freeze dill for the winter in the freezer? Freezing is an effective way to preserve not only the appearance of dill, but also its beneficial properties. With this type of storage, the greens remain almost as healthy as fresh.

Preparing dill for freezing is extremely simple. And you should start by selecting sprigs of greenery.

Attention! Do not freeze stale herbs that have begun to wither; do not freeze dill sprigs cut after dill begins to bloom.

Dill for freezing must be selected fresh and young. It is advisable to freeze greens that are just collected from the garden. Rinse and dry the selected herb stems, spreading the sprigs of herbs on a kitchen waffle towel.

After rinsing the greens in water, place them on the surface of a clean, dry towel, blot them, and then transfer them to a dry towel and allow the remaining water to drain. The main thing is not to overdo it so that the branches begin to wither.

After the greens have dried, choose the freezing method. The most common option is freezing whole branches. But there are other ways.

Freezing methods

Here's how to freeze herbs:

• freezing whole sprigs of greens;
• freezing chopped dill;
• freezing spices in ice;
• freezing greens in butter.

Advice. Freeze the spice in small portions, which can be used 1-5 times at a time.

Freezing whole sprigs of greens

The most popular option among housewives. In this case, dill retains the maximum amount of vitamins and microelements. Essential oils are also preserved, so the dill retains a fresh aroma after it is added to dishes.

To preserve dill sprigs, divide selected, washed and dried sprigs of greenery into bunches sufficient for one use. Next, prepare a form on which it will be convenient to freeze the greens. A cutting board, plate, baking sheet or thick cardboard is suitable for this. Wrap the selected form with cling film, then place bunches of greens on it and place in the freezer.

Place completely frozen dill in bags or wrap in cling film, each bunch separately. Both options are convenient to use, but for more accurate storage, place the dill in a container, separating the bunches from each other with cling film. Seal containers and bags tightly and place frozen dill in the freezer.

Advice. Before using frozen dill sprigs, you should defrost it slightly at room temperature, about 2-3 minutes. After this, use the twigs to decorate finished dishes.

Freezing chopped dill

This method of storing herbs is convenient because it is already completely ready for use. To use in dishes, you do not need to first defrost and cut the greens.This preparation is used both for preparing hot dishes and for salads.

For this freezing method, first decide what you will freeze in. Options for freezing include a plastic bag, zip lock bag, container, or cling film.

Finely chop the prepared greens into small portions. In one container, it is advisable to freeze such an amount of dill that is enough for several servings. The crushed spice must be placed on a strip of cling film and wrapped. The strip should be of such a size that it fits into the container in which the workpiece will be stored.

After the dill wrapped in cling film has frozen, transfer it to a container and place it in the freezer in the storage compartment.

When freezing chopped herbs in bags, fill them with a small amount of prepared dill and wrap them so that there is no air left in the bags.

Freezing spices in ice

This type of freezing is more labor-intensive. However, by freezing your greens in ice, you preserve the maximum amount of essential oils, resulting in a fresh aroma. Frozen dill in ice will not take up much space in the freezer.

You can use such spice cubes only for soups and broths, but if you use olive oil instead of water, you will get an excellent salad dressing. Before using frozen dill in olive oil, the cube should be thawed.

To prepare the spice cubes, take the prepared dill (it is not necessary to dry it), cut it and place it in ice-freezing molds.Fill them halfway, then fill them to the top with cold drinking water or cold broth and place them in the freezer until completely frozen. The broth for freezing is meat or vegetable, according to your taste.

Important. There is one drawback to freezing spices in broth: such cubes can be stored for no more than three months. To speed up the freezing process, it is good to use several forms at the same time.

Place frozen dill cubes in bags or storage containers and place in the freezer.

Freezing greens in butter

Another way to freeze is in butter. This mixture is convenient to use for sandwiches or for boiled potatoes.

The freezing process is similar to freezing dill in ice, but instead of water, the dill is poured with melted butter. After this, the forms are placed in the freezer until the cubes are completely frozen in bags or storage containers.

Containers for storing frozen greens

How to store a frozen product is a personal choice for each housewife. It all depends on the amount of herbs used when preparing dishes, the size of the freezer and the time that the housewife is willing to spend preparing spices for the winter.

The simplest and most budget option is a package. Both whole sprigs of greens and chopped ones are frozen in bags. But bags are not very convenient for freezing spices in oil or ice. For this method, it is better to use ice-freezing molds or disposable plastic cups.

Silicone baking molds will also be convenient. But remember that dill is an aromatic spice, and when used, containers and molds absorb its smell.Therefore, we recommend selecting separate containers and forms for freezing herbs.

Important! Under no circumstances should frozen spices be stored without packaging. Under such storage conditions, greens will not only lose their beneficial properties, but will also give off their smell to other nearby products.

Terms and conditions of storage

The shelf life of frozen dill depends on the method of freezing it. If the greens are frozen in sprigs, they will be stored for up to 12 months - after which the beneficial properties of dill begin to disappear. Dill frozen in ice can be stored for the same amount of time.

Greens frozen in vegetable, olive and butter have a significantly shorter shelf life. Use this preparation within 4-6 months.

Attention! Do not re-freeze defrosted dill: it will lose its taste, beneficial microelements, vitamins and essential oils.

An important factor is the storage temperature of dill. Do not store frozen greens in the quick freeze compartment. Remember about the packaging: it must be tightly closed if these are containers. If bags are used for storage, make sure they are intact. It is better to immediately pack one portion into several bags.

Using frozen dill

Spicy preparations are used to prepare various broths, soups, pickles and other first courses. With the help of such preparations you can marinate meat and season side dishes.

Sauces, vegetables, casseroles, fillings for pies - all this with spicy preparations will become even tastier, healthier and more aromatic.

You can also treat yourself in winter with salads made from fresh vegetables, the taste of which will be complemented by frozen dill.

Various vegetable smoothies are extremely useful in winter, sauces, juices and cocktails, the taste and aroma of which will be complemented by greens.

To use in dishes, remove the product from the freezer immediately before use, without first defrosting it.

Conclusion

Now you know how you can freeze dill. Having fresh, flavorful, nitrate-free greens on the table all year round is an excellent addition to almost any dish. Harvesting herbs for the winter at home will not take much time, and will bring a lot of benefits in the cold season.