Skip to main content

How I use herbs - Dill

Dill (Anethum graveolens) is an annual herb that grows well here in autumn and spring when its not too hot and not too cold.  Dill grows very easily from seed, another simple and tasty herb for any garden.
How I grow dill
Dill forms large flowers and seed-heads at the end of the season, and I keep a few seeds and sprinkle the rest around the garden.  Every year more dill pops up around the garden towards the end of winter.  It grows huge and flowers again as the weather warms up.


eight acres: how to grow and use dill

How I use dill
Dill leaves have a tangy flavour.  I never liked dill when I only had dried dill, it wasn't until I tried fresh dill that I really appreciated the taste.  It compliments seafood, eggs and potatoes.  I used it in my pickled cucumbers and its also good in mayonnaise (which I have not perfected).  I like it chopped up with other fresh herbs like chervil, parsley and basil, as a garnish with salad or on meat.  I also pick the dill leaves and dry them in my dehydrator (and they are nearly as good as fresh leaves).

Dill seeds can also be used, they have a similar taste, and keep better than the dried leaves. Both are good for digestion (particularly spasms) and can be used to make a tea.  It is also recommended for increasing milk production for breastfeeding mothers, and can be used for cough and flu remedies.  

Dill flowers are great for feeding pollinators including honey bees


eight acres: how to grow and use dill


eight acres: how to grow and use dill
I think this is a parsley flower, but dill is very similar with yellow flowers

 Do you grow and use dill?



How I use herbs - Mint, Peppermint and Spearmint

How I use herbs - Aloe Vera

How I use herbs - Basil

How I use herbs - Ginger, galangal and turmeric

How I use herbs - Marigold, calendula and winter taragon

How I use herbs - Lemon balm

How I use herbs - Soapwort

How I use herbs - Comfrey

How I use herbs - Nasturtium

How I use herbs - Parsley

How I use herbs - Borage

How I use herbs - Herb Robert

How I use herbs - Purslane

How I use herbs - Chickweed

How I use herbs - Neem oil

How I use herbs - Rue, tansy and wormwood

How I use herbs - Brahmi

How I use herbs - Yarrow

How I use herbs - Arrowroot

How I use herbs - Lucerne (afalfa)

How I use herbs - Lavender

How I use herbs - Rosemary and Thyme

How I use herbs - Oregano or Marjoram

How I use herbs - Sweet Violet

How I use herbs - Gotu Kola

How I use herbs - Lemongrass

How I use herbs - coriander (or cilantro)

Comments

  1. I like to use dill in homemade potato salad. I just chop it very finely and add it to the creamy dressing I make. Yum!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dill is delicious. I love both the fresh leaves and the seed for cooking. My favourite salad dressing involves 60/40 mayonnaise and cream, a generous teaspoon of dijon mustard, chopped fresh dill and parsley, followed buy ground cumin and ground white pepper to taste. Great in potato salad, but also good for pasta salad.

    I love to use the seeds in honey-mustard chicken, in a curry or Arabian lamb casserole. They carry a lovely flavour in the dish without being overpowering.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ohhhh I love dill and was not aware it could be used for breast feeding I have some seeds left from the farm and was going to give them all away but with Peanut due soon I might keep them.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Liz,
    Love this post. Dill especially is something we use when we pickle our cucumbers and even with pickled carrots as well.
    We don't grow anywhere near enough herbs, so will have to get my act together and plant a few more.
    Cheers
    Jane.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Mmmm, delicious dill. I'd never ventured into using it until the last couple of years. However, it's a very important herb among the Barossa German descendants who make Pickled Dill Cucumbers at cucumber time each year. An acquired taste, that I never really developed until I reached maturity. Wow, I can't wait to try the dressing recipe from Chris (above).

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks, I appreciate all your comments, suggestions and questions, but I don't always get time to reply right away. If you need me to reply personally to a question, please leave your email address in the comment or in your profile, or email me directly on eight.acres.liz at gmail.com

Popular posts from this blog

Chicken tractor guest post

Sign up for my weekly email updates here , you will find out more about chickens, soap and our farmlife, straight to your inbox, never miss a post!  New soap website and shop opening soon.... Tanya from Lovely Greens invited me to write a guest post on chicken tractors for her blog.  I can't believe how many page views I get for chicken tractors, they seem to be a real area of interest and I hope that the information on my blog has helped people.  I find that when I use something everyday, I forget the details that other people may not be aware of, so in this post for Tanya, I tried to just write everything I could think of that I haven't covered in previous posts.  I tried to explain everything we do and why, so that people in other locations and situations can figure out how best to use chicken tractors with their own chickens. The dogs like to hang out behind the chicken tractors and eat chicken poo.  Dogs are gross! If you want to read more about chicken tractor

The new Eight Acres website is live!

Very soon this blogspot address will automatically redirect to the new Eight Acres site, but in the meantime, you can check it out here .  You will find all my soaps, ebooks and beeswax/honey products there, as well as the blog (needs a tidy up, but its all there!).  I will be gradually updating all my social media links and updating and sharing blog posts over the next few months.  I'm very excited to share this new website with you!

Garden Update - July 2013

This month I'm joining the Garden Share Collective , which was started last month by Lizzie from Strayed from the Table , to allow vege gardeners to share their successes and failures and generally encourage everyone to grow more of their own food organically.  This first month, I'll give a detailed update on everything that's growing in my garden, for anyone who hasn't been following for long.  I'll do my normal farm update on Tuesday as well. If you've just joined me, welcome to my vege garden.  I recently wrote about gardening in our sub-tropical climate , so if you're wondering about the huge shade structure, that's for protecting the garden during our hot, humid summers.  At the moment though, the garden is full of brassicas, which grow best here in winter, and are suitably frost-proof.  The garden is about 12 m long by 5 m wide, and surrounded in chicken mesh to keep out the chickens and the bandicoots.  The garden has spilled out around the edg