How to keep dill fresh for the winter Many gardeners think about this after the end of the gardening season. This product is used not only in cooking as a seasoning, but is also often used as a main ingredient for medicinal and cosmetic purposes. Today, there are several simple and effective ways to preserve the value and flavor of your greens.
Keep it fresh
The optimal temperature for storing greens is +6 °C. Under such conditions, dill can be stored for 1 month without the use of additional measures.By the end of this period, the grass will gradually begin to turn yellow and wither.
To extend the duration of its use, freshly cut dill is placed after cutting or purchased in a store in a regular plastic bag and 0.5 of an onion is placed inside, tied and put away for storage. With this method, the greens can be preserved unchanged for 5 days. After this, the bag is ventilated and the bulb is replaced, which will preserve the plant for the same amount of time.
The most popular way to preserve dill is to place bunches of the plant in a regular jar of water.
To do this, just place the cutting areas of the stems in water and monitor the sufficiency of the liquid. The water will decrease, so you will need to periodically replenish the water in the container. In this way, greens are stored for a couple of weeks or even more.
Experienced housewives grind dill and place the mixture in ordinary jars, closing with ordinary plastic lids. When stored in the refrigerator, containers allow you to obtain fresh herbs for 2 months. It is important to prevent moisture from getting into the jar.
Preparing green dill for winter storage
For longer storage, it is necessary to properly prepare the greens, regardless of which method is chosen in the future.
To do this, carry out the following steps:
- the bundles are washed under running water;
- sort through the bunches to remove defective stems, simultaneously removing debris and foreign inclusions;
- The stems are laid out on a towel on a flat surface and wait until the moisture has completely evaporated.
It is important to remove shoots with signs of rotting and mold to further preserve the harvest.
Freezing
The method of freezing dill is considered one of the simplest, while the quality of such greens allows it to be used as an alternative to ordinary fresh herbs in first and second courses.
The taste and aroma of frozen greens will definitely be preserved for 6 months.
There are several freezing methods:
- in its entirety - the stems are collected into small bunches, each of which is wrapped in cling film and placed in the refrigerator;
- chopped mixture - dill is chopped and transferred to polyethylene bags or small plastic containers, after which it is sent for storage in the refrigerator;
- in envelopes - foil is used to package finely chopped greens, with the help of which envelopes are imitated.
For later use in cooking, it is convenient to freeze the greens in ice cubes. To do this, take special molds, fill them 2/3 and fill the rest of the volume with the chopped mixture. You can store the cubes after freezing in molds or it is better to put them in a bag.
Pickling
This method allows you to use dill for a long time, the quality of which is not inferior to fresh grass. For pickling, take a transparent jar of the desired volume and a regular plastic lid. Chopped dill and salt are alternated in layers, the thickness of each is from 1 to 2 cm. After finishing the work, the filled jar is put into the refrigerator for storage.
Drying
The drying method allows you to obtain an aromatic seasoning, which can later be used as an ingredient for first and second courses, side dishes and sauces. At the same time, the dry product remains a source of nutrients and gives the finished dishes a rich aroma and taste.The advantage of this method is the ability to process a large amount of green mass, since after drying the seasoning does not require much storage space.
Naturally
Dill can be prepared for storage in home drying conditions without the use of special equipment. The plant can be dried with whole branches or finely chopped. In the first case, the stems are cut to the base and, after the processing procedure, they are tied and hung until completely dry, after which they are removed and placed in a basket or special containers.
In most cases, the greens are finely chopped and laid out on a flat surface in a thin, even layer.
Periodically it is necessary to turn the layer over to achieve uniform drying.
In the oven
The advantage of oven drying is the speed of the process, but the nutritional value and value of dill is reduced. Drying is carried out in the oven when heated to a temperature of no more than + 60 ° C. Drying greens in the microwave is not recommended, as this leads to the destruction of the beneficial qualities of the plant.
How to store dried dill?
Dried dill can be stored in a regular glass jar, since the container is airtight and does not allow moisture to penetrate inside, which is an important condition for the possibility of long-term storage of the seasoning. At the same time, it is possible to control how much greenery is in stock. Some people store the dry mixture in small linen bags, but with this method, the smell of the seasoning can spread to surrounding products.
