Growing Dill: A herb that is easy to grow in a pot or in the herb garden.

Anethum graveolens

Growing Dill in your herb garden is an easy project to complete. Dill is an easy germinating annual herb that should be planted in good garden soil in rows 12 to 24 inches apart. Cover the dill seed with 1/8 to 1/4 inch of soil and water. In a few weeks harvest Dill for dill weed or grow longer for dill seed. Every herb garden should contain growing dill.

Plant Type:

Annual- Dill has bluish-green stems that contrast with finely divided, yellow-green, plume-like leaves and yellowish flowers. Dill grows about 2 to 3 feet high.

Propagation of Dill is easy when grown from seed. Sow in the garden in spring after all danger of frost has passed. Plant the dill seed directly into your herb garden as the herb does not transplant well.

Harvesting Dill: For best results, cut leaves just as flowers open. Harvest Dill in the morning after dew has evaporated and herbs are dry.

Air Dry: Dill Leaves picked fresh from the garden should be rinsed in fresh, cold water, then patted dry. Bundle the stems together, then hang inverted out of direct sunlight in a cool, dry environment for a few days.
Food Dehydrator: In a Food Dehydrator, dill leaves can be easily dried in a short time. Lay out dill branches in a single layer on Food Dehydrator trays and dry herbs at temperature of 90-105 F.
Seeds for Pickling: Pick seeds when they are flat and brown.

Dill as a Culinary Herb: When used as a culinary herb, Dill goes with most anything: pork, poultry, dairy products, vegetables and especially salads, soups and sauces.
Dill Seed: is a part of the herb used as spice when making dill pickles, sauerkraut, and beet dishes.
Dill weed: which is the leaves, is a good flavoring with fish sauce and salad dressing. It can be combined with garlic and pepper to produce a highly flavored Mediterranean or East European pork roast (often cooked over a spit outdoors).
Dill Seed: Also yields a fragrant oil.

Use a rack to keep jars from touching canner bottom and to permit heat circulation.
Put jars into a canner that contains simmering water.
After adding jars, add boiling water to bring water 1 to 2 inches above jar tops.
Bring water to a rolling boil. Set timer and process for recommended time.
Remove jars from canner immediately after timer sounds.
Cool on a rack or towel.
Do not retighten screw bands after processing.
After jars are cooled, remove screw bands, wipe jars, label and date.
Store jars in a cool, dark place.
For best quality, use within one year.

Dill Pickle Recipe:

For whole cucumbers, small sizes up to 4 inches long are preferred. Larger sizes may be packed whole provided they are processed for a longer time. Wash cucumbers thoroughly.
Usually with larger cucumbers it is better to slice, quarter, or halve lengthwise before pickling. Combine vinegar and water. Pack cucumbers into clean jars. For each quart, add 1 tablespoon or three heads of dill, 5 whole black peppers, and 2 teaspoons salt. Fill with vinegar-water solution to ½ inch of top.
Seal. Process 15 minutes in simmering hot water.