How to Substitute Dried for Fresh Dill in Pickles

How to Substitute Dried for Fresh Dill in Pickles
Written By
Sarah Bourque
Sarah Bourque
Published: Aug 24, 2013
Updated: Feb 1, 2019
1 minute read
John Foxx/Stockbyte/Getty Images

Dill pickle recipes start with a brine solution of water, vinegar and salt. Garlic and other seasonings are added, but the star flavor is dill weed. Dill weed has a strong, tangy taste that complements the preserved cucumbers. Pickles usually call for fresh dill. Dill is easy to grow and often available in stores. There may be an occasion when fresh dill is out of season, hard to find in your local market or was mistakenly left off of your grocery list. In a pinch, you can easily replace fresh dill with dried.

Step 1

Measure out your dried dill. Use about one teaspoon of dried dill for each tablespoon of fresh dill needed.

Step 2

Crush the ground dill to release some of the flavor. Try grinding it in a mortar and pestle or simply the palms of your hands.

Step 3

Add the crushed dry dill weed in place of the fresh dill to your favorite pickle recipe. Add a few pinches of dried dill seed to boost the flavor, if desired.

Tips

Many recipes call for a certain number of dill "sprigs" or a "head" of dill. The size of dill weed plants can vary greatly. In general, though, it is safe to estimate that two sprigs will equal one tablespoon of fresh or one teaspoon of dried dill. A head would equal about three tablespoons of fresh or three teaspoons of dried dill.

Photo Credits

John Foxx/Stockbyte/Getty Images

Sarah Bourque

Sarah Bourque has been a freelance writer since 2006 and is based in the Pacific Northwest. She writes and edits for the local publisher, Pacific Crest Imprint and has written for several online content sites. Her work recently appeared in…

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