How to properly dry dill at home and where to store it
Not a single salad can do without dill in the summer. A kebab or fish baked on the grill will not be so fragrant if you do not add this seasoning to them. How to preserve the spicy herb for a long time to remember the summer days in the cold? There is a solution - drying dill for the winter. This method will allow you to pamper yourself with fragrant dishes all year round and enrich the body with vitamins and useful microelements that are contained in greens.
The content of the article
Preparation for drying
Dill is one of the most popular spicy herbs used by housewives all over the world. It is used in the preparation of many first and second courses and snacks. It occupies a special place in the composition of vegetable salads, giving them a unique smell and taste.
Before you start drying greens, you need to know a few secrets of this process.
First of all, you should prepare the greens for drying.... To do this, select the freshest and greenest branches. You should not take yellowed or lethargic ones, it is not suitable for drying and dill collected after the beginning of flowering: it will spoil the finished product with an unpleasant odor. Dill umbrellas are also dried, but separately from the branches of young greenery. They are used for making marinades and salting vegetables.
When cutting the plant for drying, keep it free of dew... With dew, the dill is saturated with excess moisture, which will further spoil the appearance of dried dill: it will turn black from excess moisture.
If you are harvesting dill from your garden, you can skip the next preparation step.... If the greens are bought at the market or in the store, be sure to wash them in cold water. To rid the dill of nitrates, soak it in cold salted water for 5-10 minutes.
Attention! Do not wash greens in warm or hot water: with this treatment, they will lose their color after drying.
Remove the herbs from the water and spread them out on a clean cotton towellightly blotting it on top. Then transfer the dill to a dry towel and pat dry. In no case should you do this on newspapers or sheets from magazines: dill will absorb all the toxins from the paint.
At this stage, the greens are ready to dry for the winter.... Now it only remains to decide on the method that will be most convenient for you.
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In what form to dry
Dill is dried in two ways: whole stems or chopped... When dried with whole branches, a large amount of nutrients, and most importantly, essential oils, are preserved in greens. It is thanks to them that dill has a unique aroma, which, if properly dried at home, will delight you in the cold season.
If you decide to dry chopped herbs, do not chop them very finely. When the dill is dry, it will be easy to chop just by rubbing it with your fingers. Before cutting the greens, it is better to remove the stems and dry only thin branches.
How to dry dill at home for the winter
How to properly dry dill so that it does not lose its qualities and remains green? It contains a large amount of vitamins, trace elements and essential oils. For maximum preservation of all useful components of the product, select a convenient drying method for yourself.
Attention! Do not dry greens in direct sunlight to avoid loss of nutrients and taste.
There are several drying methods spices, consider them in more detail.
On air
The most common method for drying greens is by air.... In this way, greens are dried both vertically and horizontally.
Vertical drying
For vertical drying collect the prepared twigs into small bunches of 5-6 pieces... Tie each bundle carefully with a thread, without damaging the stems. Damaged stems will begin to rot during the drying process, which will spoil the appearance and taste of the product.
Next, hang the bundled bundles at a short distance from each other in a dark, ventilated room... In this form, they will dry until tender. Make sure that there are no rotting twigs in the bundles during the drying process. If they do appear, remove them urgently.
Horizontal drying
To dry herbs in a horizontal position, spread the prepared branches a thin layer on paper towels. In this form, both crushed greens and whole branches are dried.
Place dill paper towels in a ventilated, dark place, away from direct sunlight. Stir the herbs periodically to dry evenly. After a few days, the dried dill will be ready.
In the oven
Another way to dry greens is in the oven. Since dill is a very delicate spice, at high temperatures it will burn out and lose its beneficial substances and taste. therefore dry greens in the oven at low temperatures, no more than 40 ° C. In this way, both whole branches and chopped dill are dried.
To dry using this method, put the prepared herbs in one layer on a baking sheet.covered with baking paper. This is necessary so that the dill branches do not come into contact with the metal, which may cause them to darken. Place the baking sheet in the oven, leaving the door slightly ajar. So the air will circulate, drying the greens. Remove the baking sheet from the oven every 30-60 minutes and stir the dill, checking for readiness.
Drying time in the oven takes from two to four hours.
In the microwave
Fastest drying method - in a microwave oven. Both whole and chopped dill are suitable for this method.
Take a disposable paper or regular platecovered with a paper towel. Place the prepared food on a plate, cover it with a paper towel and place in the microwave at maximum power for three minutes.
After this time, take out the dill from the microwave and determine if it's done. If the herbs are still not completely dry, stir them and place them back in the microwave for the same time at maximum power.
In an electric dryer
An electric dryer (dehydrator) is a very popular device in the kitchens of housewives. One of its functions is drying herbs. To dry dill in it, spread the prepared herbs in a thin layer on a tray and turn on the "Herbs" function... If this function is not available, simply turn on the electric dryer at 40 ° C. With this mode, the greens will be ready in three hours.
In a refrigerator
Another way is to dry the herbs in the refrigerator. This method is the most time consuming, it takes 2-3 weeks.
Spread whole or chopped dill on a flat dish or cutting board... Cover it with a paper towel or napkin and place it in the refrigerator on the top shelf. Do not forget about dill for all three weeks: periodically take it out of the refrigerator, turn it over, if you find damaged branches, remove them to avoid spoiling the rest. The wipes should also be checked and replaced if necessary.
How to check readiness
The readiness of dried dill is very easy to check... Take a sprig or pinch of minced food and try rubbing it between your fingers. If it crumbles, then drying is ready. The process should be continued if the dill wrinkles in your hands.
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How and what to store correctly
Proper storage of dried herbs is an important point... First of all, the dried dill must be protected from bright light and direct sunlight, so place the dried spice in dark glass or porcelain jars. The containers must be tightly sealed. Tins, paper bags and linen bags are also used for storage.
If you don't have such a container, place the dried dill in a glass jar and send it to the kitchen cabinet for storage.
Important! Do not place containers with dried herbs over the hob to avoid overdrying it.
What to do so that dill does not turn yellow when drying
With any of the above drying methods, you may find that the finished product turns yellow.... How do I keep it green? Unfortunately, yellowed dried dill no longer has a sufficient amount of vitamins and microelements. To avoid this, the drying process must be carefully monitored.
With natural drying of dill in the air, yellowness is formed due to overdrying, that is, when the greens are outdoors for too long. Watch the readiness of the product and put it in a storage jar in time.
When drying herbs in an oven, microwave and electric dryer, this effect is obtained from high temperatures... It is necessary to monitor the temperature regime and periodically check the readiness by stirring the herbs. When using the microwave, make sure that the dill is covered with a paper towel or napkin.
Advantages and disadvantages
So, the greens are dried, put in jars for storage and ready to eat. Now let's figure out how useful dried dill is and whether everyone can eat it.
Dried Product Benefits:
- long shelf life;
- high content of useful trace elements and vitamins, due to which dill strengthens the immune system;
- does not contain nitrates;
- normalizes metabolic processes in the body due to the high content of essential oils;
- increases appetite;
- lowers blood pressure;
- suppresses depressive states;
- normalizes sleep;
- infusions and decoctions of dill normalize the work of the gastrointestinal tract and prevent gallbladder diseases.
Disadvantages of a dried product:
- dill is contraindicated for hypotension;
- it is undesirable to use for people with renal failure;
- an excess of spices in the diet of a pregnant woman negatively affects the condition of the fetus;
- high content of essential oils can cause allergic reactions.
Important! When cooking, do not add too much dried spice, so as not to spoil the dish with a very rich taste.
Dry or freeze
Dill is famous for its large amount of macro- and microelements, vitamins A, B, C and E and essential oils... All these components are stored in greater volume when drying greens. Frozen spice loses much more nutrients. Therefore, the answer to the question of which is better: to dry or freeze dill is unambiguous: drying of the spicy herb is most optimal, and not freezing it.
Reference. The calorie content of dried dill is 250 kcal per 100 g of product.
When using a dried product, the main thing is to remember the dosage... Only a moderate amount of greens will add flavor and aroma to the dish, otherwise it will kill all other smells.
The shelf life of dried dill is much longer than frozen... Dried spice is stored for two years without loss of usefulness and taste, while frozen - no more than one year.
Conclusion
By adopting dill drying methods and following our tips, you will provide yourself with a healthy and tasty seasoning for the whole year. Remember that dried dill has a more concentrated flavor and smell than fresh dill. When using herb in the cooking process, keep track of its amount. Also, dried herbs are used in folk medicine for the manufacture of various medicinal concoctions.