Dill weed or fresh dill?

rufus

Electoral Member
Mar 7, 2009
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My cucumbers are ready but my dill is not. Can I substitute either dried dill weed or dill seed for the fresh dill? What is the difference between a head of dill and a sprig of dill? How much dill weed or dill seed would I use in place of the fresh dill?
 

VanIsle

Always thinking
Nov 12, 2008
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Have you checked to see if your local supermarket has fresh dill in? I have never come across a recipe yet that suggests substituting dried dill weed. I don't think you will get near the flavour you are looking for.
 

VanIsle

Always thinking
Nov 12, 2008
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Dilly bars are a good substitute!
Watch out for this man Rufus. Dilly bars are a great sub as long as you eat them while you are cooking your pickles. Mixed in - yuk, can you see that ice-cream mixed with the vinegar! ;-)
 

#juan

Hall of Fame Member
Aug 30, 2005
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Right now the larger food stores have fresh dill. Failing that, you can use dried dill seeds and dried dill weed. If you are using large jars, a sprig or two of dried dill weed and a half teaspoon of dill seeds per jar. I'm assuming you have no problems putting together the liquid.

At least three or four whole cloves of garlic per jar.
 

AnnaG

Hall of Fame Member
Jul 5, 2009
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Yup. Remember that usually the dried seasonings and herbs are stronger than the fresh ones, too. Usually one third dried to 1 fresh is about equal. So if you use 3 pinches of fresh for something use only 1 pinch of dried.

LOL @ Spade and VI
 

rufus

Electoral Member
Mar 7, 2009
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We just got back from the store and no fresh dill at all. I did pick up jars of dill weed. I found a site that suggests to use 1/4 tsp dill weed for a 3-5" sprig of fresh dill. That is why I wanted to know the difference between a sprig and a head of dill.
 

rufus

Electoral Member
Mar 7, 2009
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go to a gardenmarket


Is you dill not flowered?

There isn't a farmers market near us. We live out in the sticks. Our dill isn't even a foot tall yet, but I have already picked two baskets of cucumbers from the 5 hills that we planted.

I really love dill pickles but so far all I have been making is relishes and bread and butter pickles.
 

rufus

Electoral Member
Mar 7, 2009
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Spade, although that bit of film is very cute, it doesn't help me to make my pickles.
 

rufus

Electoral Member
Mar 7, 2009
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Use fresh dill only for pickles; the leaves are better to use than the flowers! The more, the better!

So does that mean that I can pick and use the dill that I have growing even thought they haven't flowered yet?
 

#juan

Hall of Fame Member
Aug 30, 2005
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We just got back from the store and no fresh dill at all. I did pick up jars of dill weed. I found a site that suggests to use 1/4 tsp dill weed for a 3-5" sprig of fresh dill. That is why I wanted to know the difference between a sprig and a head of dill.

The Save On or the Superstore had fresh dill last week. The dill we are growing in the garden is probably ready to use. I have used dried sprigs of dill and I throw in a couple of those as well as a few seeds. The dill pickles I make are usually braced with a very generous amount of garlic so a little less dill or a little more dill is not going to be too critical.