Don’t Chop Fresh Dill Before Freezing It, Do This Instead

Fresh dill often comes in a bunch when a recipe needs only a few sprigs. Use what you need for salmon, potatoes, dips, or dressing, and the rest can lose its freshness before another recipe comes along. Freezing solves that problem, but there is no need to chop the whole bunch or pack the soft leaves into an ice cube tray. Freeze the sprigs whole first, then take out what you need.

The process takes a few minutes and needs little more than water, a baking sheet, and a freezer bag.

Wash the dill in cold water

Rinse fresh dill under cold water.

Shake away the water or pat the sprigs dry before they go into the freezer. Removing surface moisture keeps extra ice from forming around the leaves and stems.

Keep the sprigs intact.

Spread the sprigs across a baking sheet

Place the dill on a baking sheet rather than putting the whole bunch straight into a freezer bag.

Spread the sprigs apart, then put the tray into the freezer.

Freezing them in one layer keeps the pieces separate before storage.

Bag the dill after it freezes

Once the sprigs are frozen, transfer them from the tray into a freezer bag or freezer safe container.

Return the package to the freezer.

Because the dill froze before it went into the bag, you can remove one sprig or a small handful without dealing with one frozen mass.

Skip thawing before you cook

Frozen dill doesn’t need time on the counter before use.

Take out the amount you need and add it to the dish. The thin leaves thaw fast once they meet food.

Use it in soups, sauces, potatoes, salmon, dips, dressings, or other recipes where you would reach for fresh dill.

You can dry the extra dill too

Freezing isn’t the only way to preserve a large harvest.

Tie dill into small bunches and hang them upside down in a warm, dry room. Leave them until the leaves feel dry, which can take a week or two.

Strip the dried dill from the stems over a plate or baking sheet, then move it into an airtight container with your other dried herbs.

If fresh dill keeps going bad after you use a few sprigs, don’t chop the whole bunch and hope you’ll find another recipe in time. Wash it, dry it, freeze the sprigs on a tray, then put them into a bag once frozen.