Preserving fresh dill by dehydrating is a great way to preserve fresh dill you have grown in your garden. Drying herbs is one of my favorite Food Dehydrator recipes.
Summer is on its way and if you have planted dill in your garden you quickly start to wonder how you can save the fresh herbs you have been growing.
Picking fresh herbs to use in your cooking is great during the warm months but what happens when it gets too cold for you to grow herbs?
Preserving herbs by drying them is the best way to make sure you have fresh herbs to use in your cooking all year long.
Not just the months it is warm enough to grow them.
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How to dehydrate dill
Dehydrating dill is pretty easy. There are a couple of ways you can dry fresh herbs. I like to use my food dehydrator.
Air drying and oven drying will work also. When I use a dehydrator I can be sure that the herb will dry completely and quickly.
Step 1: Pick the fresh dill early in the morning after the dew has dried off but before the sun is high in the sky. As the heat of the day starts to rise the oils in the dill will begin to evaporate. The dill will still have plenty of flavor but if you harvest it before it gets hot the flavor will be stronger.
Step 2: Rinse the herb in a bucket of cool water to remove any bugs or dirt.
Step 3: Pinch and remove the bottom thicker part from the bottoms of each stem.
Step 4: Dry the wet dill by patting it dry or use a salad spinner to remove as much of the water as possible.
Step 5: Lay the dill stems on a dehydrator tray. You can pile it on more thickly than you would most herbs because the hot air can circulate through the thin feathery leaves.
Step 6: Turn the dehydrator on and set the temperature to 95 F. degrees if there is a temperature setting on your appliance. (No temperature control? See my notes below)
Step 7: Dehydrate the dill for 10 to 14 hours at 95 degrees. Drying times will vary depending on how thickly you have loaded the trays and the temperature the dehydrator is running.
Step 8: Transfer the dried stems to a bowl. The dill will feel dry but still soft to the touch. A good way to check is to try to snap one of the thickest stems you can find. The stem should feel dry and brittle.
Step 9: Crush the herb with your hands or use a scissor to cut the pieces. Remove any pieces or stems you find.
Step 10: Store the dehydrated dill in an airtight container or glass spice jar in a cool dark cabinet.
And use it to make these Cucumber Sandwiches the next time you host a party or brunch.
Recipe FAQs
Dehydrated dill should be stored in an airtight container in a cool and dark cabinet or pantry to preserve the flavor and color of the dried dill.
Dried dill goes well with fish and seafood. It is also used to flavor dips, pasta salads, egg salads, sauces, meats and many vegetables.
Dried dill is stronger than fresh dill. The drying process concentrates flavor. Use half as much dried dill in recipes that call for fresh dill.
Dehydrating Tips
- When to pick fresh herbs: Pick fresh herbs early in the morning after the dew has dried but before the sun is high in the sky when the flavors and oils are the strongest.
- Salad spinner: Remove as much water from the wet dill before loading the dehydrator. Wet herbs take much longer to dehydrate. A salad spinner works very well.
- Dehydrating temperature for herbs: Tender herbs should be dehydrated at 95 F. degrees. A low temperature allows the herbs to retain their oils and flavors better than a high temperature.
- No temp control dehydrators: Dehydrator that do not have a temperature control will run at a higher temperature. One that I have runs around 160 F. degrees. The herbs will dry very quickly. Check the dill every hour.
- Herb drying times: How long to dry dill? The time is takes for dill to dry will vary. Check the herb about every hour.
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How to Dehydrate Dill
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 large bunch of fresh dill
- water (to fill a large plastic bowl or the sink)
Instructions
- Pick the fresh dill early in the morning after the dew has dried off the stems but before the sun is high in the sky. As the heat of the day starts to rise the oils in the dill will begin to evaporate. The dill will still have plenty of flavor but if you harvest it before it gets hot the oils will be stronger.
- Rinse the herb in a bucket of cool water to remove any bugs or dirt.
- Pinch the thicker stems from the bottoms of each stem.
- Lay the dill stems on a dehydrator tray. You can pile it on more thickly than you would most herbs because the thin feathery stems will dry quickly.
- Turn the dehydrator on and set the temperature to 95 F. degrees if there is a temperature setting on your appliance. (No temperature control? See my notes below)
- Dehydrate the dill for 10 to 14 hours at 95 degrees. Drying times will vary depending on how thickly you have loaded the trays and the temperature the dehydrator is running.
- Transfer the dried stems to a bowl. The dill will feel dry but still soft to the touch. A good way to check is to try to snap one of the thickest stems you can find. The stem should feel dry and brittle.
- Crush the herb with your hands or use a scissor to cut the pieces. Remove any pieces or stems you find.
- Store the dehydrated dill in an airtight container or glass spice jar in a cool dark cabinet.
- Makes about a 4 ounce jar full of dried dill.
Video
Recipe Expert Tips
- When to pick fresh herbs: Pick fresh herbs early in the morning after the dew has dried but before the sun is high in the sky when the flavors and oils are the strongest.
- Salad spinner: Remove as much water from the wet dill before loading the dehydrator. Wet herbs take much longer to dehydrate. A salad spinner works very well.
- Dehydrating temperature for herbs: Tender herbs should be dehydrated at 95 F. degrees. A low temperature allows the herbs to retain their oils and flavors better than a high temperature.
- No temp control dehydrators: Dehydrator that do not have a temperature control will run at a higher temperature. One that I have runs around 160 F. degrees. The herbs will dry very quickly. Check the dill every hour.
- Herb drying times: How long to dry dill? The time is takes for dill to dry will vary. Check the herb about every hour.
- Makes: For the amount of dill I dried I ended up with a 4 ounce jar full of dried herb.
Nutrition
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Check out my Food Dehydrating page for more ways to preserve fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs by drying.
Carol
I want to use the dehydrated dill for pickles next year so I ant the stems in tact with the leaf. How do I store that instead of crushing it up
Arlene Mobley
Carol you would need to find a long enough air tight container that you could lay the stems down flat in.
Becca
How do you use the dehydrated stems?
Arlene Mobley
Hi Becca the stems went in my compost pile but you could grind them up and make dill powder with them.
Sal
Works great!