The plant called dill is known to all. It is used in salads, used in the manufacture of marinades and pickles, seasoned with various dishes. All thanks to the unique taste of dill, which, in addition to this, is also a storehouse of various vitamins. Naturally, I want to be able to use this product all year round, and then there are difficulties: the dill is stored for a short time in the refrigerator, and the store greens often turn out to be tasteless grass. So how to prepare your own fragrant dill for the winter so that it does not lose its taste and beneficial properties? In this article we will look at the most popular ways.
Dill Drying
The most popular method of harvesting is dried dill. Its essence lies in the fact that the plant gradually loses all the water, thereby increasing the concentration of nutrients in it. With the development of technology, the number of methods for drying dill is becoming more and more, and they are all popular with greens.
How to dry the dill in a natural way
Naturally, greens and herbs were dried many centuries ago, but this method is still popular today. This method, unlike the others, requires more time and some conditions, but the result is worth it. To make dried dill, you need a dry, dark, ventilated room. Dill need to lay out a thin layer on a clean surface. After complete drying, the finished raw materials can be crushed in a blender or manually, and then folded into an airtight container.
Because of the requirements for the place, this method may not be suitable for everyone, but do not worry, then we will look at more practical methods of drying dill.
How to dry dill using the oven
Some do not like this method because this drying reduces the amount of nutrients, and the flavor becomes less pronounced. However, if drying in a natural way can take more than 10 days, then in the oven it will take only 2-3 hours. The baking sheet should be covered with baking paper, on top of it lay out a thin layer of dill. The first two hours the temperature should not exceed 40 ° C, then it can be increased to 70 ° C.
Important! The lid of the oven during drying must be ajar.
Watch the process carefully: as soon as the greens are completely dry, the oven should be turned off. This method is ideal for those who do not have the time and opportunity to dry the dill in a natural way.
The method of drying dill in the microwave
If you thought that oven drying is the fastest way, then you are mistaken. When drying in a microwave, washed greens are desirable to wipe, but do not need to be dried.
Important! It is imperative to remove the thick stems, as they can be ignited in the microwave.
How to dry dill in the microwave? Everything is simple:
- Put the greens in one layer on a paper napkin. Cover the dill with a napkin as well, it will absorb the evaporating moisture;
- With a power of 800 W, drying usually takes 4 minutes, but the time may be different depending on the size of the microwave, power and other factors, so the exact time is chosen individually, by experience. For starters, check greens every 30 seconds;
- Keep the dill in the microwave until the greens lose their bright green color;
- If the greenery is still wet, put it in the microwave for another 1-2 minutes;
- After that, the greens are taken out and let cool, at this time the remnants of moisture will leave it.
How to pickle dill for the winter
If you are thinking about how to keep dill fresh for the winter, then another old-fashioned method will help you. Some consider this method absolutely unsuitable, but salted dill is a favorite dressing for hot dishes for some. Before salting the dill, it must be rinsed and dried from external water.
Did you know? Best of all for this method is suitable young fresh dill without hard shoots and petioles.
The ratio of dill and salt should be 5: 1, the raw materials are layered and sprinkled with salt, then rammed and lay a new layer. After the jar is filled, it is closed with a lid and put in a cold place, the only way to keep the dill fresh for a long time. In this form, dill does not lose its flavor for three months.
Dill pickled greens
Everyone knows that dill is used for pickling tomatoes, mushrooms, cucumbers and other things. In this case, dill serves as an auxiliary ingredient, but it can be successfully marinated as a separate dish. To do this, select the juicy greens without coarse stems, umbrellas and petioles. Then everything is simple: dill is washed and placed in half-liter jars, and then poured with hot marinade. He prepares for the simplest recipe, for this we need to mix:
- 0.5 liters of water;
- 1 tbsp. l salts;
- 1 tbsp. l vinegar (6%).
Next comes the standard sterilization procedurefamiliar to everyone. Remember that the water that you pour in the pan should be about the same temperature as the marinade, otherwise the bank may burst. After boiling the jar with dill for about ten minutes, it is rolled up and stored in a dark and cool place.How to keep dill in oil
Quite an interesting way and, most importantly, fast. As usual, the dill is first washed and dried, then cut. Then it is laid out on the banks and pour the oil so that it completely covers the dill. As a result, the oil is impregnated with dill aroma and acquires a refined taste that will be an excellent addition to many salads. True gourmets prefer to use dried dill rather than fresh, so the oil will take on the flavor even better. But keep in mind that for this you will need to first spend time drying the dill.
Ways to freeze dill
How to freeze dill for the winter in the refrigerator, many people know, because this method has gained immense popularity as soon as this household appliances became available to the mass consumer. The fact is that when frozen, dill retains all its tastes, smells, as well as useful properties for 6-8 months.
Important! It is recommended to store frozen dill in portions, as repeated freezing is unacceptable for any vegetables and greens.
Usually dill is frozen in packages, but relatively recently another interesting method has appeared: the preparation of “dill cubes”. Next, we will look at how to freeze dill for the winter. It should also be borne in mind that frozen dill, despite all the advantages, is different from fresh, so to use it in its pure form, as well as in salads will not work. Such dill is perfect as a seasoning for hot dishes. For this, frozen dill is added a couple of minutes until cooked.How to freeze dill in packets
In packages of dill can be frozen both whole and sliced. To do this, the dill should be washed, so that after freezing it is ready to eat. Then the water should be allowed to drain, otherwise a lot of ice will freeze to dill. Next, add the resulting raw materials in plastic containers or plastic bags.
Dill freeze diced
For this method you will need an ice form. This method is popular because it is much more practical to store dill in the freezer in this way. Depending on the capabilities and desires, you can prepare cubes in two ways:
- The leaves are finely chopped with a knife. In this case, dill needs a kind of binding material, for this purpose, suitable butter or plain water. The ratio of dill to filler is 2: 1. After the cubes are frozen, they can be left in this form, taken out as needed, or transferred to a container or bag.
- Fresh green ground in a blender. In this case, the dill takes the form of mashed potatoes and lets the juice, so you can add oil or water, but not necessarily.
Did you know? In the manufacture of cubes can not be limited only to dill. For your favorite dishes, you can pick up your unique blend of spices and freeze it all together!
As you can see, depending on the end goal, this plant can be stored in completely different ways, and now you know how to preserve fresh dill, how to dry, pickle or freeze it.
