Dill seed is the dried fruit of the dill plant: warmer, sharper and more caraway-like than the feathery leaf, and the defining flavour of dill pickles, Scandinavian breads and Indian suva.
What it is¶
Dill seed comes from the same plant as the feathery herb dill, harvested once the flower heads have set fruit and the seeds have turned brown. Each "seed" is actually a half-fruit: flat, oval, about 3–5 mm long, with a pale papery wing along each edge.
Seed and leaf taste related but different. The leaf is sweet, grassy and aniseedy; the seed is dominated by carvone, the same compound that gives caraway its flavour, so it is warmer and sharper. India grows a lot of dill seed, including the related Indian dill, sometimes classed as Anethum sowa or a variety of A. graveolens, which is used in Indian cooking as suva or sowa.
Origins and history¶
Dill was known to the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans as a medicinal and culinary plant, and it appears among the plants Charlemagne ordered grown on imperial estates around 800 AD. The English name comes from Old English dile, and folk etymology links it to a Norse word for lulling or soothing, a nod to its long use for settling babies' stomachs; that link is uncertain.
Dill water — an infusion of the seed — was a nursery remedy for colic in Britain for centuries and gave its name to "gripe water". In the kitchen, the seed is most at home in northern and eastern Europe, where it went into pickled cucumbers, sauerkraut and rye breads, and it travelled with Central and Eastern European emigrants to North America, where the "dill pickle" became a national institution.
Flavour and aroma¶
Crushed dill seed smells of caraway first, then something fresher and more herbal, with a faint note of anise and lemon. It is mildly bitter and pungent on the tongue. Heat and long brining bring out a rounder, almost savoury character — the unmistakable smell of a deli pickle barrel.
Compared with caraway it is lighter and less earthy; compared with fennel seed it is much less sweet.
In the kitchen¶
- Pickles: the classic dill pickle uses 1–2 tsp dill seed per litre jar, usually with fresh dill heads, garlic, black pepper and mustard seed in a vinegar brine or a salt brine for fermented pickles.
- Breads: rye breads, potato breads and crackers in Scandinavia, Russia and Poland; add 1–2 tsp to a loaf.
- Cabbage and root vegetables: sauerkraut, braised cabbage, beetroot, carrots and potatoes.
- Fish: in a court-bouillon for poaching salmon or in butter sauces.
- Dressings and dips: crushed seed in yoghurt or soured cream.
- Indian cooking: suva seeds are used in some pickles, dals and vegetable dishes, and are part of some mukhwas mixes chewed after meals.
💡 Seed for cooking, leaf for finishing
Dill seed survives long cooking and brining; the leaf does not. A good rule is seed at the start, fresh dill at the end — they reinforce each other.
Crush the seed lightly before use in dressings; leave it whole in brines.
Buying and storing¶
Buy whole seed that is greenish-brown and smells clearly of caraway when rubbed. It keeps for two to three years in an airtight jar in a dark cupboard. Ground dill seed goes stale fast. See how-long-spices-last.
Substitutes¶
caraway is the nearest match, a touch stronger and earthier — use about three-quarters of the amount. Celery seed works in pickles and slaws. A mix of fennel seed with a little caraway gets closer to the anise note. In a pinch, a generous handful of fresh dill stems in the brine gives some of the flavour.
Pairs well with¶
Cucumbers, cabbage, potatoes, beetroot, salmon, trout, eggs, soured cream, yoghurt, rye, garlic, mustard seed, black pepper, coriander seed, celery seed, caraway and bay.
Growing your own¶
Dill is an easy annual. Sow direct in spring in full sun (it resents transplanting), and let some plants flower. When the umbels turn brown and the seeds loosen, cut the heads, hang them upside down in a paper bag to finish drying, then shake the seeds free. Plants self-seed readily, and dill can cross-pollinate with fennel, so keep the two apart if saving seed.