This looks like a whole lot of dill, right? Well, it is, if we were going to use all of it. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. What we’re looking for here is the tiny little dill leaves, commonly known as dill weed.

My husband plants dill every Spring, and we always end up with just enough to use over the Winter months. It’s yummy in dips, salad dressings, and as seasoning for chicken or fish.

In order to preserve the dill weed, we dry it. I wash the stems, and then break off the pieces with the leaves attached. Then, I lay them out on a cookie sheet, and place them in a 200-degree Fahrenheit oven for about an hour, until the leaves practically fall off the stems. Once they are cool to the touch, I crumble them with my hands, put them through a fine sieve, and then pour them into a small canning jar. I put the airtight lid on the jar, and into my pantry it goes.

I ended up with just over a third of a cup from this batch, but there’s more growing in the garden. It may seem like a lot of work for very little return, but considering that .3 ounces of dill weed costs over $3.00 at the grocery store, I’d rather put in the time, than pay the price.