Dill Seeds 80g

Recipes & Uses

Recipe for Dill seeds

Classic Dill Seed Fermented Pickles 

The ultimate use for dill seeds, perfected over centuries

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Ingredients (1-gallon jar):

• 3 lbs pickling cucumbers (small, unwaxed)

• 2 tbsp dried dill seeds (key ingredient)

• 6 garlic cloves, smashed

• 1 tbsp black peppercorns

• 2 bay leaves (for tannins)

• 1/2 cup pickling salt (non-iodized)

• 8 cups water (chlorine-free)

• Optional: 1 tsp mustard seeds, 2 grape leaves (extra crunch)

Instructions:

1. Sterilize jar and pack cucumbers vertically with garlic and spices.

2. Dissolve salt in water to make brine, pour over cucumbers.

3. Weigh down with fermentation weights to submerge.

4. Ferment at room temp:

   • 3 days for half-sour (mild)

   • 7+ days for full-sour (tangy)

5. Store in fridge (slows fermentation) for up to 6 months.

Pro Tips:
🔹 Seed toast: Lightly toast dill seeds before use to enhance aroma
🔹 Brine check: White film (kahm yeast) is harmless—just skim off
🔹 Crunch secret: Keep pickles below 68°F (20°C) for optimal texture

Other Top Dill Seed Recipes:

1. Russian Black Bread – 1 tbsp seeds per loaf for authentic flavor

2. German Sauerkraut – Layered with cabbage during fermentation

3. Indian Achari Chicken – Yogurt marinade with dill seeds and turmeric

4. Scandinavian Gravlax Cure – Mixed with salt, sugar, and juniper

Science Bit: Dill seeds contain carvone and limonene—compounds that combat Listeria and E. coli, making them historically crucial

Why Keep Dill Seeds in the Pantry?

The classic pickling spice
If you're making dill pickles, whole Dill Seeds give the brine that unmistakable aromatic character.

Stronger than dried dill leaves
The seeds have a deeper, more concentrated flavour that can stand up to hearty dishes.

Use whole or crushed
Keep them whole for pickling and baking, or crush them for dressings, marinades and rubs.

Excellent with potatoes and cabbage
Two simple ingredients that work especially well with dill's earthy, aromatic character.

Useful in savoury baking
Add to rye bread, pumpernickel or savoury biscuits for another layer of flavour.

What Do Dill Seeds Taste Like?

Dill Seeds are earthy, aromatic, slightly sharp and gently citrusy, with a flavour somewhat reminiscent of both dill leaves and caraway.

Compared with Dill Tips, the seed is:

Stronger
Warmer
Earthier
Less delicate

This makes the seeds better suited to:

Pickling
Long cooking
Bread
Stews

while the leafy herb is often better for finishing fish, salads and creamy dips.

How to Use Dill Seeds

Dill Pickles

Add the seeds directly to your pickling brine along with vinegar, salt and your preferred aromatics.

Use with:

Cucumbers
Onions
Carrots
Beetroot
Green tomatoes

The seeds gradually release their flavour while the vegetables pickle.

Potato Dishes

Add lightly crushed Dill Seeds to roasted potatoes, potato salad or warm boiled potatoes.

Bread

Use whole or lightly crushed seeds in rye bread, pumpernickel and savoury loaves.

Cabbage

Add to braised or roasted cabbage for a warm aromatic flavour.

Soups & Stews

Use in potato soup, borscht or hearty meat stews.

Dressings & Marinades

Lightly crush the seeds and add them to mustard vinaigrettes or fish marinades.

Dill Seeds vs Dill Tips

Both come from the same plant, but their flavour and best uses are different.

Choose Dill Seeds when you want:

• Pickling
• Stronger dill flavour
• Bread and baking
• Soups and stews
• Long cooking
• Whole seed texture

Choose Dill Tips when you want:

• A delicate herb flavour
• Salmon and fish
• Potato salad
• Tzatziki and dips
• Garnishing
• A finishing herb added near the end

Dill Seeds are the robust version.

Dill Tips are the fresh, delicate version.

Whole or Crushed?

Keep Dill Seeds whole when you're using them in:

Pickling brines
Bread dough
Slow-cooked dishes

Lightly crush them when you want:

Stronger aroma
Dressings
Marinades
Potato dishes

Crushing the seeds exposes more of their aromatic oils, making the flavour stronger and quicker to release.

Try It This Way

For a simple homemade pickle brine, combine:

Vinegar
Water
Salt
Dill Seeds
Peppercorns
Garlic

Pour over sliced or whole cucumbers in a clean jar according to your preferred safe pickling recipe.

As the cucumbers sit, the Dill Seeds slowly flavour the brine.

It's one of the most traditional and practical uses for the spice.

Pair Dill Seeds with Mustard

Dill Seed works particularly well with mustard — both the seed and prepared mustard.

Try combining lightly crushed Dill Seeds with:

Dijon mustard
Vinegar
Olive oil
Honey
Salt and pepper

Shake or whisk into a dressing.

Use over potatoes, cabbage, beans or salads.

Add Them to Bread

Dill Seeds can bring something very different to savoury bread.

Add them to:

Rye bread
Pumpernickel
Cheese bread
Savoury biscuits

They pair particularly well with caraway, another strongly aromatic seed commonly used in European-style breads.

Beyond Pickles

Once you've opened the pack, try Dill Seeds in:

• Pickled cucumbers
• Pickled onions
• Pickled beetroot
• Sauerkraut
• Rye bread
• Pumpernickel
• Savoury biscuits
• Potato salad
• Roast potatoes
• Potato soup
• Borscht
• Cabbage
• Beef stews
• Mustard dressings
• Salmon marinades
• Pickling spice blends
• Chutneys and preserves

Dill Seeds are worth understanding because they offer a much deeper, more robust version of dill flavour than the leafy herb most people are familiar with.

Storage

Store Dill Seeds in an airtight container in a cool, dark and dry place to help protect their natural oils and aroma.

for safe food preservation (Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry)