Drying dill has become a routine here throughout the summer months. Growing dill in abundance, harvesting the dill plant, then stripping the leaves and drying in the dehydrator for a few days.
It’s a little tedious, but then we have freshly dried dill from plants that we grew for us to use all year long. We truly use dried dill on everything, potatoes, salmon, dips, meats – even in our crockpot cabbage rolls!
In this article, I’ll go over how to dry dill leaves and explain why we always choose the dehydrator.
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Quick Answer: How to Dry Dill
To dry dill in a dehydrator, wash and thoroughly dry your freshly harvested dill, then spread it in a single layer on dehydrator trays. Dry at 95–105°F (35–40°C) for 24–48 hours, or until the leaves are brittle and crumble easily. Store the dried dill in an airtight container away from heat and light for long-term use.
Why Dry Dill?
Why are you not drying dill? Dill grows proficiently, making it an easy addition to your garden. Saving dill seeds is so easy and if left to go to seed in the garden – they will germinate all on their own.
So it’s easy to grow, easy to save and easy to harvest. It’s a well-known and well liked flavour across the world (hello dill pickle seasoning for popcorn, fries, chips, pistachios, almonds, etc).
Why aren’t you drying your dill harvests to have your own herbs in your culinary pantry. It’s the best way to make dill last long into the winter months.
Fresh Dill Doesn’t Last Long
Once cut, fresh herbs do not last long – this includes dill. Drying your herbs with a dehydrator is a simple way to ensure you get your favourite spice year round.
Drying Preserves Your Harvest
The best part about gardening is preserving your abundance. While drying your herbs repeatedly throughout the season is a little tedious, especially when lugging around the large dehydrator. But in January, when you’re eating feta and dill salmon with roasted potatoes and dill – it’s all worth it.
Preparing Dill for Drying
How to dry fresh dill with a dehydrator is super simple and easy. I’ll walk you through the steps.
Harvest Fresh Dill
You’ve harvested your dill plant, it’s ready to start growing back for your next harvest in a few weeks. If you haven’t harvested dill below, I wrote a whole article on How to Harvest Dill (Without Damaging the Plant).
Wash and Dry the Dill
The next step is to wash and dry the fresh dill. I like to fill the sink up with cold water, then take the dill leaves off the large main stem and plop it into the water.
Once all the dill is in the water, using my hands I massage it and ideally wash out anything that is not dill.
Dry The Dill
Place the wet dill onto a mullen cloth or tea towel and then using another towel cover the herbs. Pat until dry.
Remove Smaller Dill Leaves from Stem
Take a dill stem and gently pull the leaves upward to separate it from the stem. Once you have smaller fractions of the dill leaves, place them into a bowl to then put into the dehydrator.
How to Dry Dill Using a Dehydrator
Drying dill with a dehydrator is so easy and effective! You will never go back to drying racks or bundle hanging drying once you try this method.
Arrange the Dill on Dehydrator Trays
Taking the dill from the bowl, arrange the dill on the dehydrator trays. Leaving space between each portion, this airflow will make the dill dry easier.
Set the Dehydrator Temperature
All herbs should be dried low and slow. Set your dehydrator to 95–105°F (35–40°C).
We started at 95°F (the lowest setting), but over time started using 105°F and found it it be much more effective for us.
How Long Does Dill Take to Dry?
Drying times depend on quite a few things. It depends on your temperature, how wet the herb was prior to drying, and how much air flow the herbs had.
For us, it takes 24-48 hours on 105°F.
How to Tell When Dill Is Fully Dry
Ensuring your herbs are dry is the most important step prior to storage. These are some quick tips to ensure it’s dry.
Leaves Should Crumble Easily
When your dehydrator goes off, check if your dill is ready. The leaves should be very brittle and crumble to your touch. If you’re ever unsure if it’s dry, put it back in the dehydrator for a few more hours.
If you pinch and roll the herb in your fingertips – it should break apart.
Removing Dill Leaves From the Stems
This part is pretty easy. As you can see from the image above, the dill leaves are dried and still on the stem. Over a large bowl, take the dill and pinch and roll the tiny leaves off the stem.
Discard the stem and your bowl is officially full of dried dill.
How to Store Dried Dill
The best way to store herbs is in an airtight container. When possible I always try to use glass, but we also reuse the large plastic herb containers you can get from the store. It’s a large mouth lid and it’s reusing what you have – a key homesteader value.
How Long Does Dried Dill Last?
Like all dried herbs, they can last years. However – the taste changes over the years. As the herb ages, it looses its flavour more and more.
Common Mistakes When Drying Dill
Drying fresh dill is pretty straight forward, but there’s a few common mistakes that could cause problems.
Overcrowding Dehydrator Trays
When you overcrowd your trays, it prevents airflow and then allows some of the herbs to retain moisture. If you do overcrowd – because I know you will just to fit it all in. When it’s done drying, please check it shortly after it finishes. Do the pinch and roll drying technique to ensure it is dry!
Storing Dill Before It Is Fully Dry
If the dill is not fully dried, it will mold in your storage container. The best thing to do is ensure it’s fully dried. If you’re not sure, dry it again. If you’re still worried, use a silica gel packet.
Leaving Stem Pieces in the Finished Herb
The stems will be noticable on the dried dill. Be sure to crumble and remove the dill leaves from the stem so you are not accidently seasoning with a hard flavourless stem.
Frequently Asked Questions about Drying Fresh Dill
Yes definitely! Other methods include drying racks laid out in the sun or bundling the herbs and hang drying upside-down from the wall. For me, both these methods are inferior to the dehydrator.
You sure can. We personally don’t because more of the medicinal value and aroma are in the leaves before it flowers.
Of course – fresh or dried dill, if it comes from your garden, the flavour is unmatched.
Seasoning on meats, fish, potatoes, cabage rolls, in dips and much more.
Dill Related Articles
- How to Harvest Dill (Without Damaging the Plant)
- How To Save Dill Seeds To Plant Again Next Year
- Comprehensive Guide On How To Grow Dill From Seed
Other Herb Related Content
- How to Grow Thyme (Complete Growing Guide)
- Never Buy Tea Again: How To Grow And Harvest Chamomile
- Medicinal Benefits of Thyme: Traditional Thyme Herbal Uses
- How to Grow Basil From Seed (Complete Step-by-Step Guide)
You CAN Dry Dill!
Learning how to dry fresh dill is how you will preserve your abundant harvest for months and years. You can do this!
If you’re learning how to preserve your harvest at home, you can explore all of our hands-on advice in our Garden Based & Preserving Guides, based on what actually works here on our homestead.
We are growing our website with more articles all the time, and we invite you to grow with us. If you have any questions about how to dry dill or would like to share some of your knowledge with us please leave a comment below. Happy Gardening!
