Soothing Dill
Anethum graveolens
Family: Apiaceae
COOL SEASON HERB
Dill is native to the Mediterranean and Western Asia and has been growing wild for thousands of years. The first written record of Dill dates back to Ancient Egypt, where the herb was mentioned in medicinal texts as a “soothing medicine." It was rumored that the Babylonians cultivated the plant in home gardens around 3000 BCE. Dill was spread throughout Europe during the 1st century by Charlemagne, who often served Dill at his feasts to aid digestion. By the 17th century, settlers had carried the popular herb to the New World, where it quickly naturalized and thrived. Today, Dill can be found growing on almost every continent and is widely cultivated throughout Europe, India, and North America, with the bulk of the fresh herb being produced in India and Pakistan. Fresh Dill can be found at local farmers markets and common grocery stores. For us in the desert southwest, dill is a cool-season annual crop.
While Dill is best-known today as a culinary herb, it has a long history in medicine and magic. Ancient Egyptians used Dill to ward off witches, while the Romans considered it a symbol of good luck, and the Greeks associated the herb with wealth. Europeans have historically believed Dill to be soothing, true to the origin of its name, and have long used the herb as a digestive aid. Puritans and Quakers even kept Dill seeds in their bibles to chew on during long sermons as a means of soothing growling stomachs and suppressing appetite, especially for fidgety children.
USES
Fresh and dried dill leaves (sometimes called "dill weed" or "dillweed" to distinguish it from dill seed) are widely used as herbs in Europe and in central and south-eastern Asia.
Like caraway, the fern-like leaves of dill are aromatic and are used to flavour many foods such as gravlax (cured salmon) and other fish dishes, borscht, and other soups, as well as pickles (where the dill flower is sometimes used). Dill is best when used fresh, as it loses its flavor rapidly if dried. However, freeze-dried dill leaves retain their flavour relatively well for a few months.
Dill oil is extracted from the leaves, stems, and seeds of the plant. The oil from the seeds is distilled and used in the manufacturing of soaps.
Dill is the eponymous ingredient in dill pickles.
If you end up growing lots of dill, here are 45 recipes that go way beyond dill pickles.
PRESERVATION
Dill can be dried, frozen, or preserved in vinegar.
GROWING
SEASON & PLANTING
Seed can be started in August and planted throughout the cool season. Plant starters can be used when they become available.
SOIL & NUTRITION
Plant in well-amended garden soil. Feed throughout the season with a general purpose organic fertilizer.
TEMPERATURE & SUN EXPOSURE
Plant in full to part sun. Plants can tolerate temperatures down to about 25°F. They can rebound if damage occurs.
WATER
Provide steady, regular water, as usually found in a garden bed.
HARVESTING
Harvest needle-like leaves as needed. You can also harvest the flowers (most often used in vinegars), or let the plant produce seed and save the seeds (dill seed) used for flavoring. Dill Weed, the leafy herb, tastes sweet and grassy with notes of licorice. Dill Seed, the crunchy little fruits of the plant, are pleasantly bitter and a touch camphorous. The flavor of the seeds offers a resemblance to anise or caraway seed.
WILDLIFE
Dill doesn’t seem to be bothered by too many insects and it attracts many beneficial insects. Like parsley, it is a larval host for the Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) which is a beautiful butterfly.
INVASIVENESS
Dill does not seem to escape cultivation in our region.
SOME FEATURED SELECTIONS
Bouquet Grown for the leaves and flowers (the flowers are significant and can even be used for cut flowers. A good general purpose dill.
Compatto A compact variety that seldom gets above 12-18” high. Slow to bolt.
Dukat Also known as ‘Tetra,’ this is a Danish variety that is slower to bolt than other types. With an intense flavor, it’s a good option if your primary goal is to harvest the leaves for cooking.
Greensleeves This variety is resistant to bolting and produces an abundance of dark green leaves with a sweet, mild flavor.
Herkules This variety grows to an impressive three feet tall at maturity, with lots of long, arching leaves. It produces massive flower heads and is slow to bolt. The downside is that the older leaves tend to lose some flavor, and you may need to stake it because of its height.
Mammoth Long Island This one averages about three feet tall, but in the right conditions, it can grow up to six feet tall at maturity. It’s popular for its large, flavorful leaves that are perfect for chopping up and sprinkling on fish. Because of its large size, this variety may require staking.