
DILL - ANETHUM GRAVEOLENS
Dill is native to Eastern Europe and played a big role in seasoning pickled foods to be canned and stored for winter. Both its leaves and its seeds are used in cooking. Although delicate looking, dill is actually a fairly cold hardy plant.
Exposure: Full sun.
You can harvest leaves at any time. Dill generally blooms about 8 weeks after sowing. Once the flowers develop, the plants stop producing foliage.
Dill is a multi-branched, upright plant with finely dissected leaves, some varieties more so than others. The wide, flat flowers can make the plant top heavy and cause it to bend over. The entire plant is extremely fragrant. The leaves and seeds are most commonly thought of as seasonings, but the flowers are also edible.
· Leaves: Multi-branched with lacy, blue-green foliage. "Dill weed" refers to the foliage as an herb.
· Flowers: Chartreuse rounded, compound umbels that can be upwards of 75mm across.
Leaves can be harvested at any time. They can be used fresh or stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks. Dill can also be frozen or dried, for later use.
Seeds should be harvested as they begin to turn brown. Keep a close watch, or they’ll disperse on their own.
Dill is probably best known for its use in pickles. The seeds are almost always included in pickling spice mixes. However the leaves, especially, can be used to flavor all sorts of foods, like potatoes, breads, salmon and other fish, lamb and many vegetables, like peas (pea soup), beets and asparagus.
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