Freezedry Harvest
Ingredient · Dill
Dill leaves, freeze dried
without hot air.
FD Harvest supplies certified organic freeze-dried dill (Anethum graveolens) as leaves, grown on our own farms at Lake Naivasha and frozen the day it is cut. In published trials, freeze-dried dill kept more of its aroma than hot-air-dried dill. USDA and EU Organic by Ecocert; free samples, no minimum order.
01 — The herb
Feathery leaves with a fresh, anise-like flavor.
Dill, Anethum graveolens, is grown for its fine, thread-like leaves, traded as dill weed, and for its seed. The leaf tastes fresh and grassy with a light anise note: the herb of gravlax, potato salad, borscht, pickles, tzatziki and ranch dressing.
We grow dill on our own farms at Lake Naivasha and harvest it through the year. The leaves are graded, washed, frozen and freeze dried the same day, on one site, and certified organic by Ecocert to the USDA and EU standards.
Leaves are the standard cut. A chopped or milled cut, dill powder or a blend such as dill and chive for a dip is made to your specification.
What the literature says about dill and drying.
In a Finnish study of dried dill, the key dill aroma compound kept between a trace and 1.3 % of its fresh level after hot-air drying, and between 3.5 and 20 % after freeze drying. The authors concluded that the best result came from freeze drying. The same study found that freeze-dried dill held about a quarter of the fresh herb's total aroma compounds: closer to fresh than oven-dried dill, but not the same as fresh.
Huopalahti R. et al., aroma of dried dill, Agric. Food Sci. 57 (1985)
02 — In a dip or dressing
Using dill leaves in a no-cook dip, step by step.
Dill often goes into products with no cook step after the herb is added: sour cream dips, ranch, cream cheese, yogurt sauces.
- 1
Agree the micro spec first
Drying is not a kill step, freeze drying included. For a product with no heat step after the dill, agree the microbiological spec with us before the trial. Our lots are micro-tested in our own lab.
- 2
Add to the base
Stir the leaves into the dairy or emulsion base. The porous leaf takes up liquid quickly and softens evenly.
- 3
Allow time to hydrate
Give the dip time to rest before you judge flavor and texture, since dill releases its aroma as it rehydrates.
- 4
Set the dose at the bench
Freeze-dried dill is concentrated by weight. Start low, taste after the rest, and adjust.
For seasonings and dry rubs, the leaves go in with the other dry ingredients as they are. For soups, add them near the end of cooking.
03 — Applications
Where freeze-dried dill is used.
Dill leaves fit savory products in both dry and wet formats.
- Dips, dressings and dairy: ranch, sour cream and dill, tzatziki-style sauces, herb cream cheese and butter.
- Seasonings: dill and garlic blends, seasonings for potato chips, fish and potato rubs, herb salts. See seasonings, rubs and herb salts.
- Soups and meals: borscht and vegetable soups, cup soups and ready meals with a fish or potato base. See instant soups and meals.
- Pickling and brine blends, where the leaves add visible green flecks.
04 — Supply
Packed dry, traced by lot, sampled free.
Dill is packed straight after drying into metalized pouches, each with a lot number traced to farm, plot, harvest date, dryer run and packing date. Shelf life is 3 years in sealed packaging; keep cool and dry, and reseal once opened.
Samples are free and shipped globally with a spec sheet, and there is no minimum order. More in our freeze-drying guide.
Questions
Questions buyers ask about freeze-dried dill.
Does freeze-dried dill keep its flavor better than air-dried dill?
Better than hot-air-dried dill: in published trials freeze-dried dill kept more of its key aroma compound. It still holds less aroma than fresh dill.
Is your freeze-dried dill organic?
Yes. FD Harvest freeze-dried dill is certified USDA and EU Organic by Ecocert; the certificate is available on request.
What is dill weed?
Dill weed is the trade name for the dried leaf of Anethum graveolens, as opposed to dill seed. Our freeze-dried dill is the leaf.
Can freeze-dried dill go into a dip with no cook step?
Yes, with a microbiological spec agreed in advance, because drying is not a kill step. Lots are micro-tested in our own lab.
How long does freeze-dried dill keep?
Our freeze-dried dill keeps 3 years in sealed packaging. Once opened, reseal the pouch and keep it dry.
Can you make a dill blend or dill powder?
Yes. Leaves are standard; powders, other cuts and blends are made to your specification, with no minimum order.
Contact us to discuss your product requirements.
Tell us about the dip, dressing or seasoning you are developing, and we will send dill samples with a spec sheet.
Contact us