The herb dill (Anethum graveolens) is used in many dishes in both European and Asian cuisines. The plant, also known as dill weed, has thin stems with alternate soft leaves and brown, flat, oval seeds. Dill seeds are more aromatic than the leaves, with a mild citrus flavor comparable to caraway seeds. The leaves have a pleasant, grassy flavor. Dill is frequently used as a herb and spice to enhance the flavor of numerous foods, and it frequently goes with fish, potatoes, and sauces made of yogurt.
Micronutrients that are beneficial to health are abundant in dill. For instance, 100 grams of dill double your intake of vitamin A, and a fat-soluble vitamin A supports healthy vision, skin, immune system, growth, and reproductive function. Additionally, you’ll experience a considerable increase in vitamin C, a crucial antioxidant that supports your body’s ability to fight infection.
Dill Nutrition Facts
What is Exactly Dill?
For hundreds of years, people have utilized dill in food and medicine. It has several medicinal qualities and a potent, tart, delicious flavor and taste. Along with flavonoids, minerals, and amino acids, certain substances known as monoterpenes are responsible for these qualities.
Depending on where it is grown, dill may be a perennial or annual herb. It can be added as a seasoning or garnish to various dishes, but it is also frequently used as an ingredient. Dill needs warm to hot summers with lots of sunshine to flourish. Thus it’s crucial for herbalists who want to grow their own.
Taste
Dill has a grassy flavor with a hint of licorice-like anise. Be mindful that dill plants blossom or “bolt” whenever the weather gets hot. The leaves’ flavor is altered by bolting, becoming less fragrant and bitter. Dill seed has a milder flavor than caraway.
What are the Health Benefits of Dill?
Here are the health benefits of dill:
May Aid Insomnia
Herbal essential oils can have unusual and potent characteristics. They are thought to possess antiquated therapeutic qualities that might act as stimulants, sedatives, and hypnotics all at once. Dill contains a variety of essential oils. Its essential oils contain flavonoids and vitamin B complex, which may stimulate the release of hormones and enzymes thought to have hypnotic and soothing effects, assisting some people in getting a good night’s sleep.
Might help Maintain Bone Health
Dill has a high calcium concentration, which means it may help maintain healthy calcium levels in the body. This may help prevent bone loss and the loss of bone mineral density, which are two key things to keep in mind when trying to prevent bone loss. Each year, millions of people are affected by osteoporosis. Calcium, along with other necessary elements, is crucial for the healthy formation and growth of bones and the healing of broken bones.
May help Manage Diabetes
Diabetes and the control of insulin levels have long been linked to dill. Studies have shown that it may help minimize the swings of serum lipids and insulin levels in corticosteroid-induced diabetes, even though research in this field is fairly restricted, particularly on human subjects. According to a study in Phytotherapy Research, giving dill extract to laboratory rats with corticosteroid-induced type 2 diabetes for 22 days may have caused a drop in their serum glucose and insulin levels.
May help Prevent Excess Gas
Dill, a well-known carminative, may aid in preventing embarrassingly excessive farts. In addition to being embarrassing to have in public, having gas build-up can be deadly since it puts pressure on the vulnerable organs of the chest cavity. A carminative may assist in safely forcing the gas through the digestive tract and out of the body.
May Boost Immunity
Dill has a long history of being linked to antibacterial properties. As a result, frequently eating this herb may help lower the risk of various microbial illnesses in the body and infections that could lead to open wounds or minor skin injuries.
May Diminish Diarrhea
Indigestion and microbial activity are the two main causes of diarrhea. Dill has excellent digestive characteristics, so it might be beneficial for indigestion. Second, the herb’s essential oils, which contain monoterpenes and flavonoids with germicidal or bactericidal properties, may also be helpful. They may lessen the symptoms of diarrhea by preventing microbial illnesses from attacking the body.
Possible Side Effects of Dill
Researchers claim that while dill is normally harmless, there is a small chance that it will cause allergic responses, vomiting, diarrhea, oral pruritus, urticaria, tongue swelling, or allergic reactions. Dill can cause an allergic reaction in those with carrot allergies.
It will help if you use caution while using dill as medicine in some circumstances. When you are pregnant or nursing, it is not advised that you take dill as medicine. Dill juice consumption and its usage on the skin both have the potential to irritate and increase sensitivity to the sun.
Finally, before using dill as a medicine, persons with diabetes, those using lithium, and those having surgery within two weeks should consult their doctor.
How to Cooking with Dill?
Dill is excellent for using as a garnish because it has a distinctive flavor, and a little bit goes a long way. Dill leaves have a lovely feathery texture, and even a small sprig may give food a distinct scent. Along with buttermilk, dill is a major component that gives homemade ranch dressing its distinctive flavor. It is also tasty in salads.
Dill weed should only be added before serving because the longer it is cooked, the more flavor it loses. When cooked, dill seed, on the other hand, increases in flavor and perfume. Dill seed is frequently instructed to be roasted in a hot frying pan before being used in recipes, and Dill seeds are also frequently used in pickling.
Dill is a great garnish for cold soups that contain yogurt, beets, or cucumbers, as well as for tzatziki, the traditional Greek cucumber yogurt salad. All varieties of shellfish go especially nicely with dill weed, and spreads, sour cream, cream cheese, and lamb go well.
If dill weed and dill seed must be substituted, one tablespoon of finely chopped fresh dill is equivalent to 1 teaspoon of dried dill weed. It’s useful to know that 1/2 ounce of fresh dill generates roughly 1/2 cup of leaves because some recipes ask for weight rather than volume, or vice versa.
Where to Buy Dill?
You can get dried dill weed and dill seed in the grocery store’s spice aisle. Look for bunches of fresh dill in the produce or fresh herb department. A fresh dill plant will have unwilted leaves and freshly cut stems. Because dill fronds are light and sensitive, they easily wilt and get injured. When shopping for and bringing dill home, exercise caution.
Uses
Dill is a flavorful ingredient that’s easy to add to your food. Here are some ways to add fresh dill to your meals:
- Use it as a garnish for soups or roasted vegetables.
- Sprinkle it on top of cold cucumber salads.
- Use it in potato salads or on baked or roasted potatoes.
- Place it over gravlax.
- Stir it into yogurt-based dips like tzatziki.
- Chop and add it to salads.
- Use it to add flavor to fish, lamb, or egg dishes.
- Add it to baked pieces of bread.
- Incorporate it into sauces, marinades, or salad dressings.
Dried dill can flavor dips, marinades, potato, chicken, or tuna salads.
As for the seeds, dill seeds can be used whole or crushed and added to bread, soups, or vegetable dishes. They can also be used to make dill pickles.
How to Store Dill?
Dill tends to wilt and turn mushy very quickly once harvested, so once you get home, store fresh dill weed stems loosely wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator and consume them within a day or two.
Dill can be preserved for a little while by placing a bunch in a jar or glass of water (much like flowers), covering the top with plastic, and storing the entire container in the refrigerator.
Dill freezes well but loses some of its flavors when dried. The leaves can be frozen successfully by processing them in a food processor or blender. After chopping the leaves into little pieces with a pulse, add just enough water to make a paste out of the chopped leaves. Paste should be spooned onto an ice cube tray, frozen, then moved to a sealable plastic bag and kept in the freezer. Then, add a dill ice cube if you want to give soups or stews a blast of fresh dill flavor.
Conclusion
Dill may provide various health advantages, including defense against cancer and heart disease. It is also a strong vitamin C, magnesium, and A source. However, it’s critical to remember that the majority of studies examining the advantages of dill use dill extracts.
So it’s uncertain whether consuming fresh or dried dill would have the same impact on the body. In any event, dill’s seeds and leaves can give a range of foods flavor and a splash of color. Fresh dill can be kept for up to a week in the refrigerator and for many months in the freezer when properly maintained. Dill is a tasty herb and spice that can enhance your diet’s nutritional content.
