How to dry dill in the microwave or air
In this article, you will learn about ways to dry dill in the shade and in the microwave. We'll also teach you basic tips for better drying these vegetables.
Dried dill is one of the delicious and widely used dried vegetables that can be found in every Iranian housewife's kitchen. This popular flavor can be bought ready-made and can be made at home. Although drying dill at home is quite time consuming, it is very simple and guarantees you the cleanliness and quality of the greens you are eating. In this article we will tell you how to dry dill at home and how to store it for a long time.
How to air dry dill
Prepare and clean fresh dill, removing all damaged yellow leaves, sticks and vegetable slurry from it. Since the dill stalks are soft and have many healing properties, we suggest brushing the dill a bit with the stem. This will also help make the dried dill more flavorful.
It is very important to wash the dill properly, according to what we mentioned in the article on how to wash vegetables, and for this purpose we put the dill in a large bowl and fill the bowl with water. The water temperature should be cool to preserve the freshness of the dill.
Dill greens have many leaves and may be infested with parasite eggs, so add 2 to 4 drops of dishwashing liquid or salt per quart of water in the bowl and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes. This causes the eggs and cysts of the parasites to become sticky and reach the surface of the water. At this point in the washing, slowly drain the water over the dill and pour the dill into another container to drain the water.
In the dill drying stage, you can also use plant disinfectant solutions to produce microbial dill.
In the next step, in order to remove traces of chemicals and ensure cleanliness, put the vegetables back into the water and rinse them until they are completely clean.
After removing excess water, spread the dill in a thin layer on drying towels, clean cheesecloth or a tray and place it in a shady place (away from direct sunlight, wind and dust) and of course place it somewhere so that air flows. Float.
Note: Although drying dill in the sun is faster, the sun's rays destroy the vitamins in the vegetable, especially vitamin A, vitamin B and vitamin C, and reduce the quality of the vegetable. While if you dry dill in the shade, you will lose less of its vitamin, while dried dill in the shade will become hotter.
Also, to prevent yellowing of the dill, it is best to dry the dill on the first day, and put a medium-speed fan in front of it and let the fan blow on it for a day.
After a day, leave the dill for another two to three days to dry completely. If you're a stylish, zealous type of woman, we suggest sifting the dill after it's dried so you have more of the regular, finer dill.
Once the dill is completely dry, such that you can crush it easily with your hands, is crunchy, and looks like crunching autumn leaves, you can harvest it.
Almost every kilo of fresh dill yields 50 grams of dry dill. After drying the dill, transfer it to a closed container and store it in a cool, dry environment away from sunlight. In this way, you can store dry dill for several months to a year.
Dry the dill in the microwave
Clean and wash fresh dill (remove the green leaves from the stem).
Spread the dill on a clean cloth to absorb moisture from the vegetables (there should be no traces of moisture on the leaves of the vegetable, otherwise the vegetable will turn black after drying).
First, to dry the dill, you need to put a piece of paper napkin on the plate and spread the dill on the towel (try not to interfere with the greens). Put the microwave on maximum power, then place the plate inside the microwave.
It takes about 1-2 minutes to dry the vegetables (open the microwave door every 10 seconds and turn the vegetables upside down), after this time, cut the dried vegetables by hand and put them in the container. This method is used to dry all kinds of vegetables.
Tip: You can also dry the vegetable stems separately and in the same way in the microwave, but note that due to the thickness of the stem, more drying time is required.
Tips for better drying
To get a better and faster result of drying the dill, after cleaning and washing the dill, you can chop it in batches and be patient, then dry it.
Do not use newspaper to spread vegetables, as the lead in newspaper is harmful to your health and can contaminate vegetables.
Note that if you spread the dill outside to dry, you must move it to a closed place at night or cover the dill with a piece of cloth, because in the cold night air the vegetables will absorb moisture again and the amount of water will increase, and it will cause you to swell.
To prevent the dill from turning yellow, it is best to dry the dill on the first day, put a medium-speed fan in front of it, and let the fan blow on it for a day.
After a day, leave the dill for another two to three days to dry completely.
If you're more of a stylish, zealous type of woman, we suggest sifting the dill after it's dried so you have a more consistent, finer consistency of dill.
The benefits of dill
In addition to improving the taste of food, dried dill has many healing properties. Dry dill tea is a useful drink for diabetics, as it helps regulate blood sugar levels and is effective in reducing blood fats and preventing heart disease. Adding dill to food also helps to lose weight.
What method do you use to dry dill at home? Share your experiences of drying dill with us through the comments section. Secrets of drying vegetables quickly at home! And also read the properties of dill in an asterisk.
