When and How to Harvest Dill and How to Freeze It

Learn when and how to harvest dill to make the most of this fragrant, much loved herb. Dill is one of those herbs that’s tricky to preserve. The flavour tends to fade quite quickly relative to other herbs. I find that freezing dill helps keep the flavour a little longer than drying dill. Here’s how I harvest and freeze my dill.

Read more: How to Dry Dill, How to Prune Chives, Prune Mint for a Fuller Harvest, How to Cut Basil for a Bushier Growth

When to Harvest Dill

The best time to harvest dill is when it is young and tender, before flower heads form. You can even start harvesting dill when it is quite small with only four or five stems growing from the center stalk.

Watch the Video: Step by Step How and When to Harvest Dill

Here in Garden Zone 2b-3 on the prairies, end of June, early July is a good time to harvest dill. This is when the dill has the most flavour and pests like aphids haven’t moved in yet.

The best time of day to pick is early in the morning after the dew has gone, but before the heat of the day causes dill to become droopy.

5 Ways To Prolong The Dill Harvest

Want to keep dill coming all summer instead of just a few weeks? Here’s how.

1.Remove flower heads as soon as you notice them. This is the single best way to prolong your harvest. Once dill flowers, all the plant’s energy shifts to flower and seed production. The leaves lose moisture, get tougher and drier, and the fern like branches start to turn yellow or brown at the tips, so you want to catch flower heads early and pinch them off before that happens.

Don’t worry, dill is very hardy. Removing flower heads now won’t stop the plant from producing more later, and you’ll still have plenty of seed heads in time for pickling season.

2. Harvest often, not just the flower heads. Regular picking encourages the plant to keep producing leaves instead of rushing to flower. Take the outer stems and leave the centre intact, the same way you would for a normal harvest.

3. Keep the soil evenly moist, and expect heat to speed things up. Dill under stress from dry soil tends to flower earlier, so consistent watering buys you more leafy growth. That said, dill flowers faster during a heat wave no matter what you do, so plan your harvest timing around the forecast if you can.

4. Try succession planting. Sow a new batch every two to three weeks through early summer. As one planting starts to flower, the next is just reaching its prime, so you always have young, tender dill on hand.

5. Allow some flower heads to form, eventually. Dill flower heads are great for preserving, think dill pickles, dilled beets, dilly beans, etc. Once the seeds form, they’re worth harvesting too, they add wonderful dill flavour to things like this Cottage Cheese Dill Bread.

How to Freeze Dill

I prefer to freeze dill when I have an abundance in the garden or extra from the store. It’s easy to do, the biggest factor is controlling for moisture so you get as few ice crystals as possible and avoid having your dill freeze together as one big clump. Here’s how I do it.

It is often recommended to freeze herbs in oil or water to help retain their flavour. That’s great if you’re adding the herb to soups or sauces. But, that’s not how I use dill. Most often, I use chopped dill in salads German Cucumber Salad and fresh dips. That’s why I like to freeze dill without oil or water. I simply chop, air dry and freeze.

Step 1 – Wash

Swish dill in a bowl of cold water to remove any dirt or critters that may be stuck to the dill. Lift the dill out of the water, rather than draining the water through the dill, which may re-deposit debris.

If you notice a lot of aphids or other tiny insects, add 1 to 2 tsp of salt to 1 litre (gallon) of cold water. The salt helps loosen their grip on the leaves. Rinse well with running water to remove any salt and wash away any insects.

Step 2 – Dry

In order to prevent the dill from clumping when frozen, it’s important to thoroughly dry the dill, preferably before cutting. Use either a salad spinner or lay between two clean towels and pat dry. Alternatively, place on a cotton tea towel and let air dry for an hour.

Step 3 – Remove tough stems

The best part of dill are the tender fronds, the tough stems need to go! Maybe, I’m a little compulsive when it comes to removing the tough stems? Is that just me or do you like to do that too?

Step 4 – Chop

Chop dill to desired size.

Step 5 – Freeze

If the dill is dry of surface water and separates nicely, fill small containers or freezer bags and freeze for three to six months. It will be safe to use for much longer, but the flavour will fade quickly after that.

If the dill is still quite wet, let it dry out for an hour or so before placing in freezer containers. This will help ensure it won’t freeze in one big lump.

And that’s it. Pretty easy isn’t it.

How to Freeze Dill