Dill Seed: A Pickle Spice With More Range Than You Think

Dill seed comes from the same plant as the fresh herb, but the two taste surprisingly different. The tiny, flat, oval seeds are pale brown, with a lighter rim around the edge. They are more pungent than the leaves, with a flavour that sits between caraway and fresh dill, with a lemony, slightly bitter edge.

The pickle connection

Dill seed is the signature spice in dill pickles, where it is combined with garlic, vinegar and salt. Put a teaspoon in a jar of cucumbers, carrots, green beans or cauliflower, along with fresh dill heads if you have them. The seeds hold up to the vinegar brine and add a lasting savoury flavour.

Beyond pickles

Dill seed is common in Scandinavian, Russian, German and Eastern European cooking. It flavours rye breads, potato salad, cabbage dishes, soups, and salmon cures such as gravlax. In India, it is known as suva and is used in some regional dishes, and a mild dill seed water called gripe water has been a traditional home remedy for babies in some places. That last point is only folk practice, and parents should ask their doctor before giving a baby anything of the kind.

How to cook with it

Use whole seeds in brines, bread doughs and stews. Toast them briefly to bring out aroma. Crush them lightly for use in dressings, creamy dips or on fish. Start with half a teaspoon, then taste. Dill seed has a gentle sweetness that goes with mild vegetables, but it is strong enough to carry a sauce.

Stir a half teaspoon of crushed dill seed into sour cream or yoghurt for a dip, scatter on roasted potatoes, add to a lentil soup, or mix into the flour for savoury scones. For a quick cucumber salad, toss thin slices with vinegar, salt, a little sugar and a pinch of dill seed. Dill seed pairs well with lemon, garlic, mustard seed, cucumber, beetroot, eggs and smoked fish.

Dill seed versus dill weed

Fresh dill leaves, sometimes called dill weed, are delicate and grassy, and are best added at the end. Dill seed is hardier and works best added early. Do not swap them one for one, but a pinch of seeds can add the dill flavour to a dish when fresh leaves are not available.

Nutrition at a general level

Dill seed contains small amounts of calcium, fibre and minerals, though you eat so little that the difference is small. It is a seasoning rather than a nutrient source.

Storage and cautions

Keep whole seeds in a sealed jar in a dark cupboard. They last for a year or two. Dill is in the carrot family, so people who are allergic to celery, caraway or fennel may react. Use cooking amounts only, and avoid concentrated extracts or oils unless a professional advises you otherwise.

This article is general information, not medical advice.