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Dill

life science Maturity 5-7 Next article →

Dill is a tall herb that belongs to the celery family, known as Apiaceae.

Anethum graveolens 001
Anethum graveolens 001

It is an annual plant, which means it completes its life cycle in one year. This plant is native to parts of North Africa, Iran, and the Arabian Peninsula. People grow it all over Eurasia to use its leaves and seeds as a spice. These parts add a special flavor to many different types of food. It is a very useful plant for kitchens around the world.

Growing a dill plant requires specific steps and conditions. It starts from a taproot, which is a long root similar to a carrot. The stems are slender and hollow, while the leaves are soft and finely divided. To grow well, the plant needs warm to hot summers and lots of sunshine. It also likes to grow in rich soil that drains water well. In hot or dry weather, the plant grows small white or yellow flowers. These flowers grow in groups called umbels, which look like little umbrellas.

Anethum graveolens 001
Anethum graveolens 001

People have used dill for a very long time. The name comes from the Greek word for dill and anise. This ancient name eventually became the Latin word used in many Western languages. In the past, people in Greece even used dill to flavor certain types of wine. Today, it remains a staple in many different cultures. In Russia, it is known as ukrop and is used very often. It is even used by Russian cosmonauts because it might help with digestion in space.

There are many ways to use the different parts of the plant. The leaves are often called dill weed to separate them from the seeds. People use these leaves to flavor fish dishes like gravlax or to make pickles.

DillEssOil
DillEssOil

In Poland, dill is used in a sauce called koprová omáčka with eggs and potatoes. In Sweden, people use the flowers, called krondill, when cooking crayfish. You can also find dill used in many vegetable salads. Some people even use it to flavor potato chips.

Harvesting the seeds is a careful process. First, you must cut the flower heads off the stalks as they ripen. Next, place the heads upside down in a paper bag. Leave them in a warm, dry place for one week. After that, the seeds will fall off the stems easily. You can then store them in an airtight container. You can also extract essential oil from the leaves, stems, and seeds. This oil is often used to make soaps.

DillEssOil
DillEssOil
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Anethum graveolens 001.JPG
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