How to Dry Fresh Dill
Learning how to dry fresh dill in the oven is really easy and I can’t believe I haven’t thought of doing it before now! I had a bunch of fresh dill in the refrigerator that needed to be used up and coincidentally my son used up the last of my dried dill a few days earlier, so I decided to try drying my fresh dill. I dried the fresh herb in the oven at a very low temperature and it made the house smell wonderful. The dill turned out to be brighter than our normal store-bought version and much less expensive too. I know what I’ll be doing with any leftover fresh dill from now on.
What do you need to dry fresh dill?
- Cloth towels or paper towels
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper or Silpat mat
- Small glass jar or spice jar
How to Dry Fresh Dill
Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat mat.
Wash the fresh dill sprigs in cold water then dry very well on a towel or a few paper towels. Remove all the stems from the dill sprigs and place them on a dry towel. Once all the stems are removed, pat them dry one more time.
Evenly scatter the dill on the prepared baking sheet.
Place the baking sheet in the oven for 25 minutes, then check to see how the dill is doing. If it’s really dry and crumbles easily, remove it from the oven, if it’s not, keep it in the oven for another 5-10 minutes, as needed until dried.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes. Roll it up in the parchment paper and crinkle it with your hands until it’s crushed well. Pour into a small glass jar or spice jar and keep stored sealed with an airtight lid in a cool dry place.
I love dill. They are so good with so many foods. Thanks for sharing this easy recipe to store some harvest.
This is so helpful since I can never seem to use up a whole bunch of fresh dill!
This is very helpful information.
Thank you so much for sharing this easy and FAST way of drying your dill!
Thanks Pam. This was a fun activity this morning. I don’t use dill very often but I do have a favorite tuna salad recipe that uses it and instead of continuing to leave it out of the recipe I thought I’d buy a jar of dried dill weed. When I looked at the jar prices, six or seven dollars, then saw that fresh dill was $1.75 for a small package I decided to dry it myself. It worked very well and was easy. I am quite sure that it will taste better than the dried stuff that comes in a jar.
Jacky,
It’s a fun activity, saves you so much money, and tastes great! Thanks for giving it a try.
-Pam
I was buying good quality dried herbs before, but drying dill with this method results in dill with better taste and appearance! The dill is a brighter green with a brighter taste and amps up my favorite recipes for dill bread and chickpea salad.
Anna,
I’m so glad you are liking the homemade dried dill. I think it has so much more flavor than the expensive store-bought versions. Thanks for taking the time to let me know.
-Pam
I dried dill and found that the flavor was not kept. I just dried some parsley and was recommended to blanch first for 30 sec. Have you ever blanched your dill before drying?
Rose,
I haven’t tried blanching herbs before drying. Please let me know how it works out for you.
-Pam
I cannot tell from the recipe, do you dry the stems as well as the sprigs? Since you separate them I thought no, but then you put the stems on a dry towel, so maybe yes?
Beverly,
You remove and discard the stems after washing and drying the dill on the towels. I hope this helps.
-Pam
Can you store the dried dill in the jar in the fridge
Donna,
I’m sure it would work just fine. I store mine in a cool dark place and that works too.
-Pam
Thanks so much for your tip! Great idea to keep fresh dill dry!
Chris,
You’re welcome! I hope you enjoy making your own dried dill.
-P