How to freeze dill in the refrigerator for the winter: the best recipes

Dill is a versatile herb whose rich, spicy flavor complements a wide variety of culinary creations. This indispensable herb adds a rich aroma to fresh vegetable salads. Entrees and prepared meat dishes are incomplete without this seasoning. It's commonly believed that this vitamin is only available during the warmer months, but this isn't true. Experience has proven that green vitamins can be consumed year-round, and even a novice cook should know how to properly freeze dill.

Can dill be frozen for the winter?

Summer offers a wide variety of healthy herbs. With the onset of cold weather, the abundance diminishes, and fresh, savory additions are always in short supply. Resourceful homemakers have found a solution and learned to preserve dill for the winter.

This aromatic herb is dried, salted, and even frozen. The latter method is the most effective, as it allows the plant to fully retain its beneficial properties and adds a rich aroma to dishes.

It's not just dill that's frozen. Unripe green umbels also contain an abundance of vitamins and essential oils. Freezer-frozen greens are virtually indistinguishable in taste and color from fresh ones, retaining a wealth of beneficial substances and vitamins.

Dry or freeze

Dill is healthy and irreplaceable. Its vitamin properties are preserved in any condition. Some thrifty housewives dry the leaves in a draft, chop them, and use them during the cold season.

Dried dill should always be on hand. These preserves don't take up much space and have a long shelf life. However, dried dill has a significant drawback. It doesn't capture the herb's characteristic fresh aroma and hints of summer.

Only frozen dill can retain its full flavor for a long time, complementing any meal. There are several ways to freeze dill, but good home cooks have their own tried-and-true method on hand and use it exclusively.

How to select and prepare greens

Every vegetable freezing procedure requires some preparation, and dill is no exception. Before freezing, it's important to familiarize yourself with the following:

• select fresh, bright green feathers without yellow tips or damage;
• use only young plants with thin stems and no inflorescence umbels;
• The most tender, high-quality dill greens are formed at the beginning of summer.

Selected spice sprigs are easy to prepare for freezing. The plants are sorted, freed from debris and foreign grass, and thoroughly rinsed under cold running water. After lightly drying with a waffle-type kitchen towel, the herbs are ready for freezing.

Preparing the refrigerator before starting the process

To ensure spice preserves retain their distinctive aroma and flavor, the freezer should be tidied up before storing. All kinds of food products are stored in the freezer compartments for long-term storage. This allows the freezer to absorb all the odors and impart them to freshly prepared spices.

Greens should retain only their natural aroma. To ensure proper preservation of vegetables, the refrigerator should be cleaned with special disinfectants before freezing for the winter, dried, ventilated, and only then opened.

Methods for freezing dill at home

Frozen herbs can disappoint even the most diligent home cook. To avoid this, use only the best, proven recipes and the most effective freezing methods. After all, the crisp, crisp aromas of fresh herbs are sorely missed in bitter cold. Dill can be prepared using simple, accessible methods.

Whole branches

When freezing healthy plants, you want to preserve as many vitamins as possible. Whole-stem freezing is a great way to achieve this.

This option is distinguished by its simplicity and ease of implementation:

• only fresh, strong, elastic stems are selected;
• the greens are soaked in water for a short time, then rinsed well and washed under running water;
• If there is a certainty that nitrates are present, they are removed with a saline solution, for which a tablespoon of salt is dissolved in a liter of water;
• After all water procedures, the grass is shaken off, removing excess liquid, and laid out on a soft cloth to dry;
• Place a portion of greens in a bag, seal it tightly, and place it in the freezer.

Chopped dill in portioned bags

Coarsely chopped dill leaves store well in small, individual-portion bags. This method has a significant advantage. Use small, airtight bags to store a single-use amount of the herb. This method preserves all the beneficial properties of the product.

Only fresh, lush dill sprigs are harvested for freezing. They are washed, dried, and cut into several pieces. The green mass is loosely placed in pre-freeze bags and placed in a freezer.

After a while, the frozen products are removed. The bags are squeezed out with a cocktail straw to remove any air, then sealed tightly and placed in the freezer for long-term storage.

In cling film

A very convenient storage method is using cling film. Dill is packaged in small, single-use packages, placed in a freezer with maximum space savings, and frozen.:

• Only young, long stems of dill with thick feathers are suitable;
• the greens are washed well and dried;
• Place several sprigs of seasoning on the prepared film and cover with a thin layer.

A considerable number of these single-use packages are made, then placed in a large bag and frozen. This method is extremely convenient to use. The packaged greens have a long shelf life without losing their vitamins or flavor.

In foil

Chopped dill leaves are conveniently stored in aluminum foil. The chopped herbs are used daily in prepared dishes. This method is advantageous because the herbs are stored in portions, as they cannot be re-frozen.

But the convenient method requires thorough drying. Well-dried, chopped parts don't clump together and can be easily separated into the required portions. Squares are cut from foil, the herbs are placed inside, and the pieces are folded into small envelopes. The resulting pieces are very convenient to store.

With salt in a container

Harvested dill is stored in the top cabinet of the refrigerator, not in the freezer. The recipe requires more careful preparation. Proper preparation will ensure the greens have a long shelf life:

• young dill feathers are washed for a long time and dried on a dry, moisture-absorbing cloth;
• the greens are chopped and placed in a clean, not very deep container;
• some salt is added to the mixture;
• The juice formed from the interaction with salt is removed, the seasoning is placed in a spacious plastic container and placed on the top shelf of the refrigerator.

Ice cubes

Only the plant's early, tender leaves are used for freezing in containers. This method requires more time to prepare, but the results are worth it:

• dill feathers are plucked from the tough stems and washed;
• chop not too finely with a sharp knife;
• greens are placed in ice cube trays, filled with liquid, and placed in the freezer;
• After a certain period of time, the frozen green cubes are placed in bags or boxes and placed back in the chamber for long-term storage.

How and how long can frozen greens be stored?

When a large harvest of aromatic herbs is gathered, a great deal of preserving is done. Dill, frozen in various ways, can be stored in the freezer for up to two years or more. The key to proper preservation is single freezing.

Greens do not tolerate repeated freezing, as they lose their flavor, aroma, nutritional properties, and vitamins. They become a tasteless herb with a faint dill scent.

But when a sudden defrosting of the chamber occurs, you should know what actions to take in this situation.

To protect the preserved herbs, bags, boxes, and sacks of frozen dill are placed in a deep container and covered with a thick cloth. This will maintain the desired temperature for a while and prevent the produce from defrosting. However, if possible, the herbs should be stored in the freezer as quickly as possible.

How to properly defrost dill

Herbs stored in the freezer are not defrosted; they are used immediately frozen. A serving of herbs can be added to hot appetizers and soups. A generous sprinkling of aromatic dill is also used to flavor finished dishes. Herbs added to salads defrost quickly on their own.