Pickles help

July 27, 2007 7:52 PM

Dill ripens ...well ... now, in Montana. Cucumbers ripen in about 3 weeks to a month. Dill pickles are better with fresh dill, but the dill will have gone to seed. Hep? Do I dry or freeze the dill? Googly searches say use fresh ... like that's any help. Ideers?
posted by Wulfgar! to Food & Drink (12 answers total)

We used dill seeds to make our pickles. Worked out fine.
posted by exogenous at 7:58 PM on July 27, 2007

Pinch it back as the flowers come on. Use seeds too.
posted by Pollomacho at 8:06 PM on July 27, 2007

You should be able to keep your dill sprigs fresh in your refrigerator for the 3 weeks until your cucumbers ripen... I hope it works out for you... Yumm, homemade pickles are so good!
posted by amyms at 8:09 PM on July 27, 2007

Why not add the dill to the vinegar now and the cukes later on?
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 8:57 PM on July 27, 2007

I would infuse the pickling vinegar with dill before the cucumbers are ready.
posted by O9scar at 8:58 PM on July 27, 2007

Dill freezes well. Stick in your freezer until the cucumbers are ready.
posted by trip and a half at 11:51 PM on July 27, 2007

Er, stick it in your freezer...
posted by trip and a half at 11:52 PM on July 27, 2007

2nd'ing Pollomacho y O9scar, Great-Grandma M. in Billings used to add her dill to the salt/vinegar/mustard seed as it came all season prior to the pickling. Smelled a helluva lot better than the saurkraut crock that lived(died?) in her garage.

Also, will be coming through on my way from Portland to Blgs. next Thursday(from Msla. Wednesday night), where should I have lunch in Belgrade(and buy the inimitable MT a beer/pop if available)?
posted by nenequesadilla at 12:37 AM on July 28, 2007

should be: buy the inimitable MT Blogger a beer/pop if available
posted by nenequesadilla at 12:41 AM on July 28, 2007

Googly searches say use fresh... like that's any help.

Well excuuuuuuse me.
posted by googly at 6:00 AM on July 28, 2007 [3 favorites]

From my experience with other herbs, I'd say freezing the dill may be your best bet. Google for directions, and nest it inside multiple freezer bags for best results.
posted by jefeweiss at 9:07 AM on July 28, 2007

I spent some time living with a family in Bohemia and they made their own dill pickles from the cucumbers and dill in their garden. When the cucumbers were ripe, the dill had gone to seed quite nicely and was covered in lots of yellow flowers. That was actually what they were looking for and they picked their dill at the same time as their cucumbers and put that in their pickling jars. Boy, those pickles tasted amazing, too.

So, I wouldn't worry too much about it going to seed. It might actually be an interesting experiment: freeze some now and leave some be and see which batch turns out better.
posted by mosessis at 3:48 PM on July 28, 2007