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For
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Anethum
graveolens
[uh-NAY-thum grav-ee-OH-lens]
Family:
Asteraceae
Names:
Dilly, Aneton, Garden dill; aneth (French); Dill,
Indische Dille, Gurkenkraut (German); aneto
(Italian); éneldo, anega (Spanish); surva, sowa
(Indian); adas cina (Indonesian); phak si (Lao);
enduru (Sinhalese); Koper ogrodowy (Polish); dille,
iundische dil (Dutch); aneto puzzolente (Italian);
endro, aneto (Portuguese); dill (Swedish); ukrop
(Russian); shih lo (Chinese); diru (Japanese);
shibith (Arabic); sowa (Hindi); satapushpi
(Sanskrit); Anithos (Greeek)
Description:
An erect hardy annual of the parsley family. The
leaves are thin, wispy and fern like. The glossy
stem is usually single reaching up to 3 ft. Yellow
flowers are borne in umbels. The plant yields two
different herbs: dill seed (the fruit of the plant)
and dill weed, the top eight inches of the leaves.
The seed is hard, light brown, winged and oval, with
one side flat, the other convex. There are three
ridges on the convex side and three vittae, or oil
channels; the flat side bears two ridges. The seed
is about .14in long.
The leaves and seeds get
their slightly bitter, pungent flavor and aroma from
carvone, which is also found in caraway and is used
to flavor kummel. The flavor of the leaves
is a mixture of anise, parsley, and celery with a
distinctive green bite on the sides of the tongue.
The aroma is a clean combination of mint, citrus,
and fennel with a touch of sea air. The seeds taste
predominantly of caraway and anise. Anethum sowa,
Indian dill, resembles the European plant, but the
seeds are longer and narrower, the ridges are paler,
and they taste slightly different.
Cultivation:
An annual that
germinates in 21-25 days. Needs light to germinate.
Space 10-12 inches. Soil temperature 60-70F and
should be moderately rich with a pH of 5-7 in full
sun. Dill does not like transplanting so sow
directly into garden. Drill seeds in rows at
one-to-three-foot spacings. Cover seeds to a depth
of one-eighth to one-quarter inch. Seeds may need
some light to germinate. Five to 10 pounds of seed
should sow an acre. Highest yields of dill weed
have been observed with rows spaced at ten inches,
with plants thinned to four-inch spacings.
Plantings can be staggered at one-to-two-week
intervals to provide a continuous supply of fresh
dill throughout the growing season. It does not do
well in the heat stress of southern climates. Will
self sow in the garden. Since the standard variety
of dill grows 3 or 4 feet high, gardeners with
limited space may prefer Dill Bouquet which reaches
only about 2 feet in height. Another variety,
Indian dill (Anethum sowa) is grown widely in
Japan and India as an essential ingredient in curry
powder, but it has a slightly bitter tang that does
not please most American palates. Water and feed
regularly. When dill is not fertilized, it begins
to turn yellow. Once the plants reach about two
feet in height, it has been recommended that
overhead irrigation be abandoned because it could
increase chances of powdery mildew infestations.
Because of its sensitivity to wind damage
appropriate windbreaks are suggested in high-wind
production areas.
Once the plants
reach a height of 6 inches you can begin to harvest
some of the foliage. Seed heads develop about 12
weeks after the sprouting. Cut the seed heads after
the first seeds have turned brown. Hang them
upside-down in a dry, well-ventilated space and let
the seed drop on a tray or in a bag. Seed yields
vary widely from 500-1400 per acre. The best way to
preserve the sharp flavor of fresh dill is to freeze
the leaves immediately after harvesting. Dill weed
should be carefully spread to dry at a temperature
of 90F without temperature regulation; dill turns an
undesirable brown color. Chopped fresh dill can
be frozen in ice trays, covered with water or fresh
sprigs can be frozen in plastic bags. Add fresh
dill toward the end of cooking; sprinkle it on after
the dish is finished.
History:
Its generic
name, Anethum, is the Latin version of the
Greek word for dill; the English word "dill" may be
related to the Saxon dillan, "to lull or
soothe", and with good reason. Dill water has
soothed babies' colic for ages in England, Europe,
and Turkey. Adults took dill wine as people today
take bicarbonate preparations. The Romans chewed
dill seeds to promote digestion, and they hung dill
garlands in their dining halls, believing the herb
would prevent stomach upset. It was also strewn on
the floors of banquet halls so that its fragrance
would counteract the heavy food smells. The Romans
believed that dill had fortifying qualities and so
they covered the food given to gladiators with the
herb. Brides in Flanders wore sprigs of dill on
their wedding dresses to ensure a happy marriage.
It was also an old German custom for the bride to
carry dill. Dill was valued as much as money by
the ancients. Greeks who could afford it flaunted
their wealth by burning dill-scented oil.
Charlemagne insisted that crystal vials of "Dille
Oil" be placed at banquets to stop the disquieting
hiccups of guests who ate or drank too much. In the
17th century, Nicolas Culpeper listed
dill as a "tonic that strengthens the braine". The
Puritans were known to place dill seeds in their
Bibles to discreetly chew so that their stomachs
would not rumble during the long church services.
The Roman gladiators rubbed dill into their skin
before a fight. St. Hildegarde of Bingen praised
dill for its ability to suppress sexual impulses.
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