Can You Freeze Dill?
Dill is an extremely delicate herb usually used in combination with potatoes. Since it is a delicate herb you will often end up buying bunches of it as the vendors won’t sell small stalks of them. Here’s how can freeze dill by following two quick methods.
Dill is a member of the Apiaceae family and is majorly used for its distinct flavor. Dill serves many health benefits as well. It helps in maintaining antioxidant content in your blood and aids in proper blood circulation.
Apart from healing menstrual cramps, dill also serves as an antibacterial agent and has anti-cancer properties as well. Thus, eating dill leaves is a great way to level up your immune system against different disorders.
Easy Ways to Freeze Dill
When it comes to freezing dill, you must understand that there are high chances of freezer burn cases in dill leaves. It is because the leaves are extremely tender and it increases the risk for the same. Follow the freezing techniques given below to avoid any sort of freezer burn cases.
1. Direct Method
It is possible to store your herbs for 2 weeks duration with minimal effort rather than storing a huge number of them. Here’s what you must do for direct freezing of dill leaves. First of all, give your dill leaves a clean and thorough wash.
Then, dry them by gently pressing them between paper towels. Let them sit on a paper towel for a couple of hours so that the excess water gets evaporated. Now, take clean ziplock bags and stuff some paper towels in them.
You’ll have to create a paper towel blanket within the bags and place your herbs between the layers of paper towels. As stated earlier, dill is a tender herb therefore, you should avoid freezing it directly. Once you place your leaves in zip lock bags, squeeze out excess air and seal the bag.
Add the bag to the freezer and this is it!
2. Ice Cube Method
Herbs like dill are famous for their significant aroma and taste. Thus, if you insist on preserving their original flavors and aroma then this method will surely be of help. As usual, cleaning is the most essential step for any type of freezing process. So start by washing and drying your herbs thoroughly.
Then, start trimming the dill leaves manually or with a food processor so that you get finely chopped herbs. Now, fill them in clean and dry ice cube trays and prepare dill ice cubes with water or olive oil.
Try using olive oil or butter instead of water to avoid freezer burn. Then, freeze the ice cubes and shift them into freezer-safe bags or containers and add labels to them. Then, pop these boxes in the freezer and use them for six months.
Tips for Freezing Dill Leaves
Now, that you are aware of freezing techniques for dill leaves, follow these tips to get the most out of them.
1. Prepare mixed herbs ice cubes: Dill freezes well with chives, parsley, and thyme. Therefore, if you are trying any exotic recipe or Thai recipe then you can prepare flavored ice cubes from these herbs.
2. Try to prepare butter from dill: To avoid freezer burn, you can whisk some unsalted butter and chopped dill. Then, roll them into a cigar-like shape using a cling film. Store the rolled butter in the freezer and slice it out as per your recipe. The butter will remain in the freezer for around six months.
3. Do not defrost or refreeze: DO NOT refreeze dill! Yes, you can understand how essential this tip is. Dill, will not only lose its flavor but there is a high chance that it will go bad. It is a mild herb and if you defrost it and freeze it again then you will increase the risk of bacterial growth.
Can you Freeze Dill Seeds?
Yes, it is certainly possible to freeze dill seeds. To freeze dill seeds, first, segregate your dill seeds from the plant and pack them in paper bags. If you have store-bought dill seeds then you can skip this step.
Keep the seeds in this bag in a sunlit place for around a week and then sieve them to get rid of impurities. Then, take the harvested dill seeds and store them in an airtight container. You can place this container in a cold and dry place. There is no need to freeze dill seeds since they are in a dried state.
How to Freeze Dill Sauce?
Dill sauce is loved by many foodies across the world. It tastes ravishing as a side dish with different meat and salads. Prepare your dill sauce and follow these steps to freeze the dill sauce.
Cool down the freshly prepared dill sauce to room temperature. Fill it in ice trays and wrap it tightly with cling film. Then, freeze the dill sauce ice cubes and shift them into other airtight bags or boxes. Do not forget to label the boxes as ‘Dill Sauce’ because after freezing it will resemble different pestos.
Then, drop your boxes in the freezer and use these sauce ice cubes anywhere between three months window. If you are using these ice cubes for cooking purposes then do not defrost them. Instead, drop them directly in the recipe while it is still hot.
However, if you wish to serve the sauce as a side dish then defrost the sauce cubes in the fridge overnight.
How to Freeze Dill Pickle?
Yes, dill pickles can be easily frozen and used for over a year. Here’s how you can do that. First, prepare your pickle as per your recipe and then portion it into different containers. Make sure the containers are freezer-safe or else they’ll burst in cold temperatures.
Fill the pickle in all containers and leave some space to add brine. Even after adding brine, there should be around ⅓ rd space left for expansion purposes. If you stack pickles to the edge, then you will end up in a messy situation as the container will explode on freezing.
Then, add labels to your jars so that you have track of the date of the freezing of pickles. Try to consume your pickle within six months, because it will start to lose some of its original flavors after that.
Conclusion
After knowing about ways to freeze dill, it is important you know some interesting ways to use them as well. So here’s what you can do with frozen dill- prepare pickles, create dill dips for salads, use the dill butter for preparing salad dressings, or serve the frozen dill sauce with salmons and steaks!