How to Dry Fresh Dill Fronds and Seeds {3 Methods}
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my full disclosure.
Is your garden overflowing with fresh dill? Learn how to dry dill to enjoy the dried leaves and seeds in your recipes all year long! It’s incredibly easy to do, and homemade always tastes best.
I grew a large section of dill in my garden last year, and was so amazed watching the beautiful flowers opening with the sun! I added the dill to my Lemon Dill Hummus and made Dill Salt, but I still had so many leaves and seeds.
I didn’t want to waste them, so I harvested a bunch to dry for recipes and pickling. The process was so easy and I have enough dill seeds for years and years now!
Why you’ll love drying dill
- Preserve the harvest – Dill only grows for a few months per year, and drying your own dill will allow you to enjoy it all year long.
- Reduce seedlings – If you let your dill plant drop its seeds in your garden, you will have far more dill plants than you will ever need! Dry the seeds to use in your recipes and you won’t have to worry about that at all.
- Great for pickling and baking – Dehydrated dill leaves are fantastic for adding to dips, savory scones, muffins, and more, but the dried seeds are fantastic for pickling! They have a strong dill flavor and since they’re shelf-stable, you can use them to make pickles any time of the year.
Equipment
To dry your own dill, you’ll need different materials depending on which part you want to dry.
For drying dill leaves, you’ll need a strainer or salad spinner, a clean kitchen towel, and either a food dehydrator with dehydrator trays or a baking sheet with parchment paper.
To dry dill seeds, you’ll need kitchen scissors, a paper bag, a strainer, and two bowls or containers.
For storage, choose an airtight container like a spice jar or mason jar.
Ingredients
- Fresh dill sprigs – Choose tender, fresh, fully green leaves from the plant. The newer leaves are generally smaller than the larger leaves, but they both can be dried. Only look for fresh, flexible leaves and rinse well to remove any insects or pollen.
- Fully mature dill seeds – The dill seeds can only be harvested at the end of the growing cycle. The flowers will develop seeds, which will start off pale green and then eventually turn brown. Choose fully brown seeds and trim the entire seed head to place in the bag.
How to Cut Dill From the Plant
The rule of thumb is to never take more than 1/3 of the plant at a time. You can start harvesting dill when the plant is about 6-8 inches tall, and I usually harvest with scissors for a clean cut.
Choose individual leaves or dill fronds and trim their stems with the scissors.
Be sure to rinse and dry the dill well, as it tends to attract aphids and other pests. (It’s a great trap crop to pull aphids from other plants, but you’ll need to rinse the leaves several times in fresh batches of cold water and shake them vigorously in the process.)
How to Dry Dill Leaves
Dehydrator Method
- Arrange the clean fronds in a single layer on your dehydrator tray.
- Dry the herbs at a low temperature (95-105 F) for 10-12 hours or until fully dried and crumbly to the touch.
- Let the dry herbs cool to room temperature, then transfer them to an airtight container to use as desired. For consistently sized pieces, feel free to crush them with a mortar and pestle (or the back of a spoon in the jar).
Oven Method
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to the lowest temperature setting (usually 170 degrees F).
- Arrange the clean dill leaves on the parchment paper in an even layer.
- Place the tray in the oven and prop the oven door open with a wooden spoon to drop the temperature as much as possible.
- Dry herbs for 1-2 hours, flipping over halfway as needed.
- Let the dry dill weed cool to room temperature, then roll the parchment paper into a tube and gently crush the leaves with the heel of your palm.
- Pour the dried herbs into an airtight container and use as desired.
Air Drying
This is the most traditional way to dry fresh herbs, but it’s not my favorite option for dill. Why? Well, those little fronds break apart easily and can create a mess on the floor. Another option is to place the herbs in a paper bag to collect the fine pieces that fall, but I prefer to use the dehydrator.
- Dry bunches of dill together with a rubber band and hang upside down in a cool, dark place with good ventilation.
- Allow the dill to dry for 1-2 weeks until dry and crumbly.
How to Dry Dill Seeds
- Look for dill flowers that have gone to seed and select flower heads that are fully brown. Use kitchen scissors to trim off the seed heads and place them in a paper bag.
- Store the paper bag in a cool, dry place, like a pantry, for several months or until completely dried.
- Shake the seeds off the flower heads. I like to do this into the bag.
- To remove any excess material from your seeds, it helps to winnow the seeds by pouring them from container to container on a slightly breezy day. As you pour, the dried pieces will fly away in the breeze. You can also shake the seeds through a strainer several times.
- Store the dried seeds in an airtight container and use however you’d like!
Storing Suggestions
Once fully dried, the dried leaves and dill seeds can be stored in airtight containers in a cool, dry place for several years. Make sure the leaves are completely dry to avoid mold.
Tips & Variations
- Make sure you dry your seeds in a well-ventilated area or they can develop mold.
- Removing any little pieces of the dried flower heads can be tricky when cleaning the seeds. You’ll need to go through the winnowing process several times. I found that pouring the seeds into a bowl on a windy day worked well, but so did shaking them through a strainer with small holes wide enough for the seeds to fall through. It’s a little tedious, but it works!
How to Use Dried Dill
The dried leaves and seeds are generally used in different ways.
I like to add the dried dill to homemade tzatziki, Ranch dressing, homemade salad dressing, and Greek seasoning. It’s great with lemon in particular and tastes great on seafood dishes. We use it on everything!
The dill seeds are perfect for making homemade dill pickles! They add a much stronger dill flavor than even the fresh herb, although I do like to add the fresh flowers and leaves when I can. But, you can get a great dill flavor with just the dill seeds if you’re in a pinch! Plus, the seeds can be planted the next year for lots of fresh dill.
FAQs
There are several different methods to choose, including dehydrating, oven drying, and air drying. The best way (in my opinion) is oven-drying, as it’s ready pretty quickly and contains the mess very well. Oven drying is the fastest method, but the high heat may reduce the scent and flavor slightly.
Yep, they’re two names for the same plant.
Related Recipes
How to Dry Dill (Oven, Dehydrator, or Air Drying)
Equipment
- Sheet pan
- Parchment paper
- Food dehydrator optional
- spice jar or glass mason jar
- paper bag for drying seeds
Ingredients
- fresh dill leaves, as much as you can get
- dried dill seeds , wait to harvest until the seeds are fully brown on the plant
Instructions
How to Dry Dill Leaves
Dehydrator Method
- Arrange the clean fronds in a single layer on your dehydrator tray.
- Dry the herbs at a low temperature (95-105 F) for 10-12 hours or until fully dried and crumbly to the touch.
- Let the dry herbs cool to room temperature, then transfer them to an airtight container to use as desired. For consistently sized pieces, feel free to crush them with a mortar and pestle (or the back of a spoon in the jar).
Oven Method
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to the lowest temperature setting (usually 170 degrees F).
- Arrange the clean dill leaves on the parchment paper in an even layer.
- Place the tray in the oven and prop the oven door open with a wooden spoon to drop the temperature as much as possible.
- Dry herbs for 1-2 hours, flipping over halfway as needed.
- Let the dry dill weed cool to room temperature, then roll the parchment paper into a tube and gently crush the leaves with the heel of your palm.
- Pour the dried herbs into an airtight container and use as desired.
Air Drying
- Dry bunches of dill together with a rubber band and hang upside down in a cool, dark place with good ventilation.
- Allow the dill to dry for 1-2 weeks until dry and crumbly.
How to Dry Dill Seeds
- Look for dill flowers that have gone to seed and select flower heads that are fully brown. Use kitchen scissors to trim off the seed heads and place them in a paper bag.
- Store the paper bag in a cool, dry place, like a pantry, for several months or until completely dried.
- Shake the seeds off the flower heads. I like to do this into the bag.
- To remove any excess material from your seeds, it helps to winnow the seeds by pouring them from container to container on a slightly breezy day. As you pour, the dried pieces will fly away in the breeze. You can also shake the seeds through a strainer several times.
- Store the dried seeds in an airtight container and use however you’d like!
Pin this recipe for later!
