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By Vicki Blachman |
When asked to talk about dill, I often feel like a Texan discussing the native plants of California. I know something about it, but it’s not part of my daily routine. Why not? Primarily because dill thrives in cool weather and truly tastes best when fresh picked; so its limited growing season in Texas tends to keep a lid on my enthusiasm. “But what about dill for pickling?” you ask. Well, for most Texas gardeners, dill is harvested long before the pickling cucumbers are ready (but more about that later). And finally, ask 50 people what their favorite culinary herb is and there won’t be a large dill contingent. So, it puts me in a bit of pickle (yes, pun intended) that a reader’s question about volunteer dill seedlings prompted this article.
In spite of all that, I grow dill. Voted the National Herb Society’s 2010 Herb of the Year, it remains a classic part of the culinary herb garden and essential to any collection of colonial, tea, medicinal or culinary herbs. As a lovely bonus, swallowtail butterflies flock to it as a host plant for their offspring — making it a useful plant in the kitchen and the garden. As late September through October kicks off prime dill growing season in Texas, now’s the time for you to consider adding it to this year’s cool-weather garden. So let’s get right to the heart of the matter.
You might assume that dill’s dill and you’d be in good company. It’s a common assumption. And if you’re using the fresh leaves to flavor food, yes — it’s all Anethum graveolens, and you’ll find the flavor varies very little from cultivar to cultivar. The primary differences between them show up in their mature size, foliage color and how long it takes for the plant to bloom and set seed (botanically, these are technically “fruits”).
The Big Book of Herbs, a comprehensive reference by Dr. Art Tucker and the late, much-beloved herb grower Tom DeBaggio, lists 14 separate seed lines. Surprisingly, at least eight cultivars are commonly available as transplants: ‘Bouquet,’ ‘Fernleaf,’ ‘Dukat,’ ‘Superdukat,’ ‘Delikat,’ ‘Long Island Mammoth,’ ‘Tetra’ and ‘Hercules.’ There are certainly many other cultivars to start from seed, but these tend to be the most widely available as plants. Here’s a breakdown of their basic differences:
‘Bouquet’ grows to a mature height of up to 3 feet, making it mid-sized by dill standards. Its free-flowering habit focuses on seed production. Pickling enthusiasts will appreciate its production of large seed heads that develop early in the season.
‘Fernleaf’ matures to 12 to 18 inches, making it ideal for containers and smaller gardens. It was developed by the Burpee Seed Company from seeds of Turkish origin and has finely cut leaves that are deep blue-green in color.
‘Dukat’ is an older variety of Danish dill that remains widely available. It has abundant deep-green leaves, a delicate sweet flavor and generally reaches a mature height of 2 to 3 feet. You’ll often read that it and ‘Tetra’ are the same cultivar, but Dr. Tucker lists them as separate seed lines. Its slow growing fernlike foliage makes a beautiful edible accent in the landscape.
Both ‘Long Island Mammoth’ and ‘Tetra’ produce a higher weight of fresh foliage per plant by comparison to other cultivars, making them valuable in the cut herb trade. ‘Long Island Mammoth’ and ‘Bouquet’ are also valued for their abundant flower (and therefore, seed) production. ‘Long Island Mammoth’ usually reaches a mature height just shy of 3 feet, although 5 feet is possible, so place it in the back of the bed. It is also cited by many sources as the dill most widely grown for non-commercial use, although I believe ‘Bouquet’ may overtake that position.
‘Delikat’ is a newer variety with dense, dark green foliage and compact growth. It is also thought to be more tolerant of light shade, as are ‘Fernleaf’ and ‘Dukat.’
‘Hercules’ reaches a 3 to 4 foot height and is a late, but heavy, bloomer with a high yield of dense green, color-retentive foliage. The foliage is somewhat coarse and therefore best used in cooking when leaves are young and tender. It is a favorite of commercial growers because of its shipping durability.
‘Superdukat’ was developed to have a higher essential oil content resulting in a more intense flavor. It is also slow to “bolt,” making it ideal for those who wish to harvest leaves over a longer period with less seed production desired.
Cultivation
Dill is a member of the carrot family (Apiaceae) and develops the long taproot and umbel-shaped (think inverted “umbrella”) flowers characteristic of this family. Because of the taproot you’ll often hear it repeated that dill doesn’t transplant well, but this only applies to bare-root transplant. You’ll find young 4” potted plants with undisturbed root balls transplant with no difficulty. However, this is an herb where starting from seed does have a number of advantages. It germinates easily and you can extend your harvest by successive small plantings, typically 3 weeks apart. Choose a sunny location with loose, friable soil rich in organic matter. Water the soil well prior to planting seed which may be broadcast on the surface and lightly raked in. Seedlings should emerge within two weeks and then be thinned to approximately 12 to 18 inches apart, depending on the anticipated mature size of the cultivar, after an additional two weeks.
Do not believe books or seed packets that state dill is a warm-weather plant and direct you to sow the seeds in the spring. In Texas, we consider it a cool-weather annual. Plant dill in the fall, typically mid- to late October, and you can begin harvesting leaves approximately eight weeks later. It prefers temperatures between 40º and 78º F, but you’ll find mature plants are frost-tolerant.
Dill is less tolerant of heat. If you’re tempted to buy a healthy looking dill plant once average temperatures have already topped 80 degrees, plan to use it up soon after purchase. It’s doomed to a short lifetime if planted in the full sun and triple digits of a Texas summer. That said, for a true dill lover it is possible to limp through the summer with fresh dill. Make continuous successive plantings every 3 to 4 weeks, be sure to keep the soil moist but not wet, give the seedlings a little protection from the hottest part of the day with a tent of lightweight shade cloth, and harvest the young plants regularly by cutting them off at soil level. The heat prompts dill to rush quickly through its life cycle to seed production and death, but it is possible to have fresh dill all year with a generous amount of coddling by the gardener.
Dill is sensitive to water stress; so establish a regular watering schedule to prevent extreme fluctuations in soil moisture. Seeds and small seedlings may be watered with gentle overhead sprinkling; but as dill matures, drip irrigation or watering at ground level (rather than overhead) will reduce water loss, stem breakage and plant disease.
If your area is prone to high winds, plant dill in a protected area or support your plants with tomato towers or stakes that can be covered. Dill’s tall growth and hollow stems make it very susceptible to damage from wind, heavy rain and hail. Large tomato towers provide stem support and a framework for quickly covering the plants with a protective fabric if hail or thunderstorms are anticipated.
Harvest, Use, Storage
Dill leaves (typically called dill “weed”) lose flavor rapidly once picked. To optimize essential oils and flavor, harvest leaves before the blooms begin to open, early in the morning when moisture content is high. Refrigerate the cut dill with its stems in a glass of water until ready to use.
Cooking with Dill — Many culinary uses of dill come to us from northern European traditions. But it may surprise you that the distinctly fresh flavor of dill has also found its way into a variety of everyday Mediterranean and Middle Eastern foods, often in a base of thick yogurt or sour cream. And while few would argue that dill and salmon have a natural affinity, or that dill and cucumbers combine to make an ideal pickle, you might not think of adding fresh dill to sautéed vegetables, roasted carrots, fresh salad greens, mashed potatoes or your favorite bread recipe. Dill is even brewed for a tisane traditionally thought to calm the stomach or induce a feeling of serenity. After all, the name “dill” comes from the Norse word meaning to lull or calm. The bottom line is this — as with all culinary herbs, if the fragrance of dill seems to complement the dish, try adding a small amount of the fresh leaves to the recipe. Heat for as little time as possible or add just before serving to preserve flavor. Whatever you do, don’t simply write dill off as the “pickle herb.” It’s much more versatile than you might have imagined.
The following sauce is often served over warm steamed or braised leeks, but is equally delicious with fish, chicken or roasted lamb. The ground sumac adds an unusual, citrus-tinged flavor. If you’re unable to find sumac at your local Middle Eastern market, substitute a sprinkle of smoky paprika or cayenne pepper and some finely grated lemon zest.
Dill Sauce
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, mashed to a paste
2 tablespoon fresh dill, minced
3 to 4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Juice of 1 lemon
Ground sumac to sprinkle as a flavorful garnish
Combine ingredients. If too thick, sauce may be thinned with milk or buttermilk to desired consistency. It may be gently warmed if preferred, but is equally delicious served at room temperature.
Pickling Vinegar — Our dill production typically “goes south” long before we have much to pickle. To preserve dill for the cucumber or okra harvest yet to come, cut fresh dill fronds and bloom heads into segments approximately 2 to 3 inches in length. Fill a gallon-sized glass jar with the dill segments and completely cover with white vinegar (or your pickling vinegar of choice). If the jar has a metal lid, be certain to cover the jar first with a double layer of plastic wrap before screwing on the metal lid. This will prevent corrosion. Place the jar in a cool, dark place until you’re ready to start pickling your harvest. By then, your pickling vinegar will be well flavored and can be used as directed in a favorite recipe. As the infused vinegar and preserved dill sections are ideal for creating a variety of pickled vegetables, be sure you’ve made plenty to handle all the cucumbers, carrots and okra; and remember to place some of the preserved dill sections and flowers in each jar as a garnish. Here’s one version of an easy to prepare but flavorful vegetable pickling liquid:
Basic Pickling Liquid
2 cups dill infused cider vinegar
1 cup water
1/4 cup granulated sugar
4 whole cloves garlic
3 tablespoons coarse kosher salt
1/4 cup equal parts mustard seed, black peppercorns, coriander seed, dill seed and lightly crushed red pepper (approx. 2-1/2 teaspoons each)
Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive saucepan and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Pour hot liquid over clean, prepared vegetables, add some of the reserved dill leaves and stems from the dill vinegar, and refrigerate until well flavored.
Are pickles and potato salad among your favorite foods? Bon Appétit magazine once published a delicious Dilled Potato and Pickled Cucumber Salad recipe that combines the best of both in one dish. When made with dill-infused vinegar, it remains one of my favorite summer picnic dishes — even if the growing season for dill occurs on the opposite side of the calendar. The original recipe is still available online at www.epicurious.com
Dill Vodka — An infusion technique is also used by our fellow Texas gardener, Lee Clippard, who blogs about his Blackland Prairie garden in east Austin at www.the-grackle.blogspot.com. This past February, Lee preserved a portion of his dill harvest in vodka rather than vinegar, then used the delicious result to create refreshing and distinctive Bloody Marys. Visit his blog for more delectable food ideas and some truly gifted garden design inspiration.
Dill Seeds — Once the plant blooms, foliage growth will stop as the plant turns its energies to seed production. Dill seeds are then harvested at the end of the plant’s life cycle when the blooms have dried and the seeds have turned a dark golden color. The easiest harvesting method is to collect the whole seed heads in a paper bag, securely close the top of the bag and allow to dry thoroughly — usually about 2 weeks. Remove stem and plant material and save the seeds in a cool, dry place. Dill seed may be used in cooking or preserved for cultivation the next growing season. If seeds are allowed to fall in the garden soil, volunteers are often spotted when cool weather and moisture return.
Herbal Vinegar — Dill makes a delicious herbal vinegar for salads and cooking, but for these purposes I prefer the milder flavor of rice vinegar over any other. Distilled vinegar is too harsh, as is cider vinegar, for many applications. White wine or champagne vinegars work well both in flavor and appearance, but rice vinegar provides a more versatile and mellow backdrop for the delicate dill. As with the pickling vinegar or vodka infusions already described, I fill a glass jar with dill and add the liquid. But for herbal vinegars, the addition of whole peppercorns and garlic chives, or a few bruised cloves of garlic, makes a flavorful blend.
Herbal oils can be stored in the freezer for up to three months. After that, they begin to degrade. Make dill oil by combining fresh dill leaves and just enough olive oil to blend to a paste. Keep this oil simple; the dill flavor alone can be added to a wider variety of recipes without interfering with the other ingredients.
Herbal butters may also be frozen until needed. Add dill, freshly minced garlic, sea salt or kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper to room temperature butter. Amounts of each ingredient are determined only by what appeals to you. Wrap the flavored butter in parchment and shape into a roll or tube. Store this inside a zip-closure freezer bag or wrapped in heavy foil. When cooking meat, fish or poultry, a slice of dill butter melting over the surface as the dish is served adds a glistening layer of fresh flavor and a professional finish.
Dill salt is yet another way to preserve dill during its growing season. Layer the fresh leaves with coarse sea salt or kosher salt and allow time for the salt to absorb the essential oils. Some of the more delicate flavors of dill aren’t captured with this method, but it’s still a tasty product and an unusual but welcome gift. Both the dehydrated leaves and the flavored salt may be used for cooking.
