How to Quickly Dry Dill from your Garden
As summer wears on, the dill plants in my garden begin to mature. This brings to mind thoughts on How to Quickly Dry Dill from your Garden. Growing my own fresh herbs allows me delicious flavor to add to my warm weather cooking. Growing herbs indoors can afford year-round access to popular fresh additives such as basil, rosemary, and thyme.
Large and leggy, my dill re-seeds itself randomly in my garden from year to year, and is not conducive to growing indoors.
To utilize the distinctive flavor of dill throughout the year, there is a quick and easy way to dry it for preserving in your spice cupboard. Simply trim the feathery fronds with scissors in the morning after the dew has dried.
Herbs retain their greatest flavor in the early part of the day. Rinse the fronds under cool water, and lay out to dry on paper towels. When air dried, spread the fronds out in a single layer on fresh paper towels, further trimming off any large stems.
Now place the paper towel in the microwave, carefully holding it taut and level. Close the door, and microwave on High for 3 minutes.
Remove carefully and allow to sit for another hour or so. It should be perfectly dried and crumbly. Place in mortar and pestle and gently grind to finer consistency.
Pour dried ground dill into a spice jar and place a dessicant in along with it. This should help to keep the herbs dry. This is not necessary, but I save the little packets that are enclosed in new shoe boxes, or in leather jacket pockets.
Finally, feel free to decorate and label your own homemade spice jar, giving yourself credit for your home grown, organic dill!
