Dill

Garden Dill (Fragrant Dill, Sweet Dill)
Anethum graveolens L.
Family — Apiaceae

Dill Description

Dill is an annual herbaceous plant, 30–150 cm tall (sometimes up to 200 cm), with a spicy aroma and a thin, taproot, sparsely branched root. The stem is solitary, erect, cylindrical, finely furrowed, with a bluish bloom and alternating whitish and green stripes, sparsely branched in the upper part. Leaves are alternate, ovate, three to four times pinnately dissected, with thread-like lobes, 10–30 cm, green or yellowish-green, with a waxy coating; lower ones are petiolate with a membranous sheath, upper ones are sessile, less dissected. The basal rosette reaches 30–36 cm, with 5–12 leaves. Flowers are bisexual, small, greenish-yellow, in complex 15–30-rayed umbels (5–15 cm), without involucres. Fruits are flat, elliptical or oval-oblong mericarps (schizocarps), brownish, 3–7 mm long, 2–4 mm wide, with keeled ribs and essential oil canals. Varieties include: 'Gribovsky', 'Lesnogorodsky', 'Kibray', 'Dukat', 'Superdukat', 'Fernleaf'. Flowering in May–September, fruiting in July–September. In Armenia and Azerbaijan, *A. segetum* is cultivated.

 

Dill Habitat and Ecology

Dill's native regions are the Mediterranean, Central Asia, East India, Asia Minor, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia. It is cultivated in Europe, Asia, America, and Russia (except the Far North). Prefers loose soils (pH 6.0–7.0), temperatures of 15–20 °C, watering 5–10 l/m² every 5–7 days. Propagated by seeds (sowing in April–May). Yield: greens — 1–2 kg/m²; seeds — 0.1–0.2 kg/m². Care: weeding, nitrogen fertilization (10–15 g/m²), aphid protection. Light-loving, cold-resistant, easily naturalizes, improves soil in crop rotation.

 

Dill Raw Materials

Raw materials: herb (herba Anethi), fruits (fructus Anethi), essential oil (oleum Anethi). Herbs are harvested in June–July, dried at 25–30 °C (yield 15–20%). Fruits are harvested in July–September as 50–60% of the umbels mature, by cutting large umbels or whole plants, tying them into bundles, drying under canopies at 30–35 °C, threshing, and cleaning with sieves (yield 80–85%). Quality: herb — green; fruits — brownish, 3–7 mm, with keeled ribs, moisture ≤12%; essential oil — light yellow or greenish. Store in airtight containers (herb: 1 year; fruits: 2 years; oil: 6 months at 0–5 °C). The smell is spicy, the taste is sweetish-pungent. Fruits contain ≥2.5–4% essential oil; ≤4% damaged fruits, ≤3% organic and mineral impurities are allowed.

 

Dill Chemical Composition

Herb: essential oil (up to 2%, d-alpha-phellandrene, carvone up to 16%, limonene, dillapiol), ascorbic acid (up to 135 mg%), carotene (up to 6.5 mg%), flavonoids (rutin, quercetin, isorhamnetin, kaempferol), vitamins (B1, B2, PP, folic acid), minerals (Fe, K, Ca, P). Fruits: essential oil (2.5–5%, d-alpha-carvone 30–60%, anethole, fenchone, limonene, alpha-pinene, dillapiol), fatty oil (up to 20%, petroselinic 25.35%, oleic 65.46%, palmitic 3.05%, linoleic 6.13%), proteins (15%), coumarins (umbelliferone, scopoletin), furanchromones (visnagin, khellin), organic acids (caffeic, ferulic, chlorogenic), selenium, silver. Calorie content of greens: 40 kcal/100 g.

 

Dill Action and Application

Dill has hypotensive, antispasmodic, diuretic, choleretic, carminative, expectorant, lactogenic, and sedative effects. It is used for hypertension (stages I–II), angina pectoris, atherosclerosis, neuroses, insomnia, flatulence, colitis, cystitis, liver diseases, gallbladder, kidneys, bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma, worms, hemorrhoids, arthrosis, tuberculosis. The herb improves appetite, digestion, intestinal motility, increases lactation, and resistance to infections. Fruits (including essential oil) relieve intestinal and coronary vessel spasms, stimulate bile secretion, and are used in "Anetine" for the treatment of coronary insufficiency and intestinal dyskinesia. Dill water (from oil) relieves colic in children and flatulence. Externally, the herb and fruits are used for pustules, blepharitis, allergic itching, scrofula, lymphadenitis.

 

Precautions when using Dill

High doses (fruits: >5 g/day; oil: >15 drops/day) can cause hypotension, dizziness, weakness, temporary vision impairment, fatigue. Store essential oil at 0–5 °C for no longer than 6 months. Do not give children under 3 years old more than ≤10 g/day of greens. Avoid prolonged use (risk of hypotension). Combine with honey, cloves, or cinnamon to mitigate the hypotensive effect.

 

Contraindications for Dill use

Hypotension, allergy to Apiaceae, pregnancy, gallstones, epilepsy.

 

Dill Recipes

1. Infusion for flatulence. Pour 200 ml of boiling water over 5 g of fruits, infuse for 10 minutes, drink 50 ml 3–4 times a day for 5 days.
2. Decoction for insomnia. Boil 3 g of fruits in 200 ml of water for 5 minutes, drink 100 ml before bed for 7 days.
3. Compresses for blepharitis. Pour 100 ml of boiling water over 10 g of herbs, infuse for 15 minutes, apply for 10 minutes, twice a day for 5 days.
4. Infusion for hypertension. Pour 250 ml of boiling water over 5 g of herbs, infuse for 20 minutes, drink 50 ml twice a day for 10 days.
5. Powder for skin itching. Take 1 g of fruit powder 3 times a day with water, 20–40 minutes before meals, for 7 days.
6. Oil for colic. Take 10–15 drops of essential oil on a sugar cube twice a day for 5 days.
7. Decoction in milk for worms. Boil 10 g of fruits in 250 ml of milk for 5–10 minutes, drink warm 100 ml twice a day for 5 days.
8. Dill Pesto. Blend 1 cup fresh dill, 1/2 cup walnuts, 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 2 cloves garlic, and 1/2 cup olive oil until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
9. Dill Yogurt Sauce. Mix 1 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill, 1 clove minced garlic, a squeeze of lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

 

Dill Cosmetics

Dill is used for skin care and to relieve eye inflammation.

1. Eye compresses. Pour 100 ml of boiling water over 10 g of herbs, infuse for 15 minutes, apply for 10 minutes, twice a day for 5 days.
2. Mask for pustules. 10 g of crushed fruits, 10 ml of honey, apply for 10 minutes, rinse, twice a week.
3. Lotion for oily skin. 20 ml of herb infusion, 10 ml of lemon juice, wipe the skin, once a day.
4. Mask for skin freshness. 10 g of crushed greens, 10 ml of yogurt, apply for 15 minutes, rinse, twice a week.
5. Dill facial steam. Add a handful of fresh dill to a bowl of hot water. Drape a towel over your head and steam your face for 5-10 minutes.

 

Dill in Cooking

Greens and fruits are used fresh, dried, in preservation for soups, salads, sauces, meat, fish, potatoes, cottage cheese, eggs. Dill enhances the secretion of digestive glands, intestinal motility, appetite, normalizes metabolism, and is suitable for diets for obesity, liver diseases, kidney diseases, and anacid gastritis. Do not boil greens to preserve flavor and essential oils. Store dried herbs in an airtight container for 1 year. Umbels with phytoncides prevent spoilage during pickling vegetables (cucumbers, cabbage, tomatoes).

1. Dill Salad. 20 g greens, 100 g cucumbers, 50 g onions, 10 ml sour cream, salt, mix.
2. Bulgarian Tarator. 20 g greens, 100 g cucumbers, 50 g onions, 200 ml kefir, 10 g garlic, 10 ml sour cream, salt, pepper, blend.
3. Pickle Marinade. 10 g umbels, 1 l water, 50 g salt, 20 ml vinegar, boil for 5 minutes.
4. Fish Sauce. 10 g greens, 50 ml yogurt, 10 ml lemon juice, salt, mix.
5. Dill Salmon. Place salmon fillets on a baking sheet, sprinkle generously with fresh chopped dill, lemon slices, salt, and pepper. Bake until cooked through.
6. Dill Potato Salad. Cooked and diced potatoes, mixed with mayonnaise, mustard, finely chopped red onion, and a generous amount of fresh dill. Season to taste.
7. Dill Pickles (Quick). Slice cucumbers, pack into a jar with fresh dill sprigs, garlic cloves, and peppercorns. Pour over a brine of vinegar, water, and salt. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours.

 

Other properties of dill

Used in perfumery, soap making, food and liquor industries, canning (cucumbers, cabbage, tomatoes).