Dill is the most popular and affordable spice for any person. It has a specific, pleasant taste with notes of freshness. Almost any dish becomes more appetizing, more beautiful and more useful if you spice it with a pinch of this green seasoning. Dried dill retains all the qualities of fresh. As well as fresh, it is universally added to first courses, salads and main courses. And everywhere he is equally good, regardless of whether fish or meat is part of the food.
Useful in any form
Dried dill and fresh are used for preserving vegetable stocks and winter salads rolled up in jars. Seeds and herbs are added to cheeses, and even to cottage cheese. And in the confectionery direction of cooking, this unique spice is found. Dill has penetrated all sectors of cooking.
Medicinal herbs
The benefits of dried dill are almost equal to fresh. It is used not only as a seasoning for dishes, but also as an independent medicinal plant, which can be consumed in almost unlimited quantities. All parts of dried or fresh dill have a carminative property, diuretic, and also have a laxative effect. Cramps and cramps retreat under his influence. And all because this incredibly useful spice has a calming effect on the body.
Another property of dried dill is that its water decoctions and infusions have a beneficial effect on the functions of the entire digestive system. They help increase appetite and suppress putrefactive microorganisms in the human intestines. This effect is caused by the presence of the essential oils that make up this green healing seasoning.
Being dried, this spice preserves a considerable part of vitamins and other useful elements. And there is something to preserve: in the composition of the aromatic and medicinal seasoning there is zinc, selenium, potassium, copper. Vitamins A, C, E and group B complement the benefits of other trace elements.
Infusion for improving the gastrointestinal tract
One teaspoon of chopped dried dill is steamed in a glass of boiling water. The infusion time is fifteen minutes. In case of digestive failures, traditional medicine recommends taking this healthy drink for five to seven days.
For external use
The compress of dried dill and parsley is popularly used as a cosmetic anti-aging and bleaching agent. In order to make a compress mask, you need a teaspoon of dry dill and pour the same amount of dry parsley herb with hot water (80 degrees). Allow the water mixture to infuse for about 10 minutes and, after moistening clean gauze in it, squeeze it slightly and apply this mask to the face. The product bleaches the skin well and gives it elasticity.
Raw material requirements
According to GOST standards, dried dill is available in bulk and in powder form. Loose dill has two varieties: the first and second. And the powder does not have a variety and is offered only in one form.
The moisture content of the product should not exceed a value of 14%. Powder and even less - 8%.
Only dill greens carefully passed all control are processed. Such a mass should contain no pesticides and nitrates, as well as other toxic elements. At least, they do not exceed the values allowed by medical and sanitary standards.
The finished product, according to the norms, is a dry dill leaves without parts of the stem. Only green parts of the plant are allowed to be processed. The color of dried herbs should remain dark green (the second grade allows some interspersing of leaves with a brownish tint). The aroma should not have extraneous shades, however, like taste.
How to dry dill at home
Harvesting dill for your family is not a difficult task. Things will be especially good when you have a small piece of land in use on which all garden greens grow.
It is advisable to start collecting green dill for drying before the stalks are coarsened. The most preferred will be young greenery, reaching a height of 10-15 centimeters, but not yet tying flower umbrellas.
Cut branches of dill must first be sorted out. Remove damaged, discolored and other specimens suspicious in your opinion. Also consider dill for small caterpillars and other insects.
Now green twigs need to be washed. It is better to deal with this procedure with all seriousness and in the process of washing once again check the raw materials for bugs and other animals. When the flushing is finished, shake off the dill all the water (if possible). Dry the dill from the remaining moisture and cut with a sharp knife into small pieces up to 5-10 millimeters.
Lay out the chopped dill on a clean paper towel and place in the shade. It’s good to dry the dill in a draft, so it would be nice to have a slightly open window or window next to the place where the greens were placed.
Dill at first somewhat wilted. It must be tedious every half hour. After a few hours, excess moisture from the plant will begin to evaporate, and then dill can be mixed every four to seven hours. On the second day from the start of drying, the dill sprinkled on a towel will become noticeably darker. The main thing is to prevent mold. The rest of the spice is dried with this technology without any problems. The total drying time of dill will depend on what is the humidity of the air in the room. Ready dill sprinkles well and has a slight crunch.
To preserve all the aromatic and other useful elements in the spice, it must be stored in a dry place and always in the dark.