Drying Dill

Hello, Brenda

There are a couple of ways you can preserve fresh herbs like dill. The easiest is freezing: Simply place chopped herb leaves or fronds in the cups of an ice cube tray and cover with water, then freeze until frozen solid. You can then transfer the cubes to a resealable plastic bag and store in the freezer for up to 6 months.  To use, place an herb ice cube in a fine strainer and run water over it until thawed. Or if you are making soup or stew, simply toss a frozen cube in the pot during the last  10  minutes (or more) of cooking time.

You can also dry the dill to preserve it. Your idea of putting it in a paper bag is good, but make sure you don’t put too much in the bag; the individual fronds should have plenty of room. And you might want to punch a few holes in the bag to let air circulate, especially if the weather is at all humid. (Light, tender herbs like dill need to dry quickly or they might develop mold before completely dry.) If it is very humid, you can try drying dill and other tender herbs in the microwave: Simply spread on a paper plate and microwave on High for 1 to 3 minutes, checking every half-minute or so to see if the herb is dried. 

And yes, you could use dried dill to make dilly beans, but the flavor may not be as fresh and vibrant as when using fresh.