How to keep dill fresh: easy ways

Storage preparation

Stocks for the winter in the garden are usually made at the end of summer or in autumn, but by this time the dill will drive out the arrows and give seeds. The most juicy and healthy greens are from early to mid-summer. In the middle of summer, until the dill goes to the arrow, it is worth preparing and putting it in storage. You need to cut off delicate twigs, leaving a couple of centimeters from the root on each bush - if the summer is long, then you can collect 1 more, and if you are very lucky, then 2 harvests of greens.

Summer residents, as a rule, cut off only part of the plantings, leaving the other part until the seeds ripen. The collected greens need to be sorted out, washed so that there is no earth, debris, insects left, then hold for three hours on towels to get rid of excess moisture. Now it can be stored in any of the available ways.

Video "Tips for Housewives"

Demonstration video with recommendations.

What to store

Dill can be kept fresh for up to 3 weeks using the refrigerator. To do this, whole branches are placed in special containers, which are placed on the lower shelf of the refrigerator. Or you can transfer the twigs with paper towels. Bouquets will be even better preserved - a bunch of greens is placed in a jar of water, tightly covered with a plastic bag on top, fastening it to the neck of the jar with an elastic band.

In order to preserve greens, you need a dark, cool place that can keep them from drying out. It can be a cellar - wet, dark and cool, the bunches are hung by the twigs. The main thing is that the air temperature is kept within the range of +2 - +6 degrees.

Ways to save dill for the winter

Seeds are also very useful, they should be collected, dried, put in jars for long-term storage. They can be kept at room temperature for at least several years, but it should be borne in mind that over time, the aroma gradually disappears, which means the essential oils. After 15 months of storage, it is no longer advisable to use dill seeds for treatment (there will be no harm, just the effect will become weaker), but they can be sown quite well. If the dried seeds, along with the dried substandard twigs, are finely chopped, you get an excellent seasoning. When harvesting dill, there is practically no waste.

Greens are most often dried or frozen, but there are other ways of harvesting. It is important to know what dill will be used for in winter. For the preparation of the first, second courses or sauces, salted or pickled dill can be perfect. To salt the greens for the winter, you need to cut them, put them in a jar, sprinkle generously with salt, tamp, add salt on top, close the lid. Salted dill can be stored in the refrigerator or cellar.

When using it in the preparation of various dishes, remember that it tastes very salty.This storage method perfectly preserves all the taste and medicinal qualities of dill, only its salty taste serves as a restriction for consumption.

Prepared dill greens are cut or put in jars with whole branches and poured with boiling marinade. After that, the jars are wrapped, achieving a slow cooling. Such dill acquires a specific taste, while retaining most of its qualities. For the marinade, use water, salt, sugar and vinegar. You can add other spicy herbs, garlic.

In the freezer

Frozen dill retains the best appearance, smell, taste, and therefore all its useful qualities. Prepared greens are folded in bunches of the desired size, wrapped in foil or cling film, put into the freezer of the refrigerator. In winter, you can take a bunch, cut off the required amount, return the remainder to its place. But you can freeze chopped greens. It is folded in plastic bags or plastic containers, tightly closed.

If the greens were wet before cutting, then they will freeze in one lump, which is not very convenient. But if it is properly dried on towels, then crushed, laid tightly and frozen, it will be free-flowing in frozen form, because each piece of the twig will freeze separately from the others. It is not necessary to freeze in a large container, it is very convenient to use portioned ice cubes. The chopped greens are put in ice molds, then added with water, vegetable or melted butter, and frozen. After freezing, the molds are released, the ice is put into bags and stored as needed. If you do not cut the dill, but grind it with a blender, then it will turn into such a gruel that you will not need to add anything - it will freeze itself.

Dried

The refrigerator was invented not so long ago as they learned to preserve dill for the winter. Our ancestors used fresh dill as long as they could, and the rest of the time they used dried herbs. The easiest way to harvest is drying. You can dry whole bunches by hanging them by twigs under a canopy on the street or in a ventilated room. Only on top, it is better to cover such bouquets with gauze or a thin natural cloth to protect them from dust and insects.

Chopped dill is most often dried. It is laid out in a thin layer on special pallets, trays covered with paper, cardboard boxes. Dry away from sunlight, stirring occasionally. The best way to do this is dehydrators - special electric dryers: special surfaces, temperature conditions, air movement are provided there. You can put greens, adjust, turn on and do other things. This is definitely very convenient.

But if there is no such toy, the weather does not allow drying outside, a cupboard in the kitchen is perfect, on which you can put a tray (just remember to check and stir the dill). If you need to dry faster, you can use the oven. Only here you will not be able to lay down and wait until ready. It is necessary to monitor the temperature so that it does not rise above 50 degrees, keep the door open to allow air movement, check readiness and stir. You can even dry it in the refrigerator: for this, a tray of chopped herbs is placed on the bottom shelf and stirred from time to time.

Dried herbs are stored in jars for up to 2 years. You can store it indefinitely, but over time, the grass loses its smell completely. It must be remembered that dried greens have a slightly different color and smell from fresh dill, but this is the traditional method that allows you to stock up on dill for the winter without the slightest expense and in any conditions.

Video "Ways to keep greenery fresh"

Demonstration video with examples.