Out of Dill, one case
Substitute dill seed for fresh dill heads
3 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Dill seed
1 to 2 tsp for every head of dill
Yes: use 1 to 2 teaspoons of dill seed for each fresh dill head a recipe calls for, which matches the National Center for Home Food Preservation figure of 1 to 2 tablespoons of seed per quart jar in place of 3 heads. Start at 1 teaspoon per head for a mild pickle and go to 2 for a strong one. The swap does not affect the safety of a canning recipe.
- Verdict —
- Works
- The tweak —
- Drop the whole seed into each jar before the vegetables go in: 1 to 2 tsp for every head the recipe lists for that jar.
- Best for —
- canned dill pickles
One casethe full dill card
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of 1 head dill | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dill seedcanned dill pickles | 1 to 2 tspWorks | Works |
| 2 | Dried dill weedrefrigerator and canned dill pickles | 2 tspTweak it | Tweak it |
| 3 | Fresh dill frondsrefrigerator pickles | 2 tbspTweak it | Tweak it |
Dill seed
sharper and more like caraway, without the fresh green note
A dill head is the flowering top of the plant, and the seed is what that head ripens into. Dried seed carries the sharp, classic dill-pickle flavor into the brine, which is the job the head was there to do.
- Best for
- canned dill pickles, refrigerator pickles, fermented pickles, dilly beans and pickled okra
- Prep
- Drop the whole seed into each jar before the vegetables go in: 1 to 2 tsp for every head the recipe lists for that jar.
- Where it fails
- It gives none of the look of a dill head in the jar. Use whole seed; ground dill seed clouds the brine.
Whole seed gives up its flavor slowly, so give the jars a few weeks before you judge them.
Dried dill weed
greener and milder, with less of the sharp seed flavor
The dried leaves of the same plant. They give a softer, greener dill flavor than the head or the seed.
- Best for
- refrigerator and canned dill pickles, when dill weed is the only dill in the cupboard
- Where it fails
- The flakes float in the brine and cling to the pickles, which is cosmetic. On its own it lacks the seedy edge of a dill head, so add some dill seed if you have any.
This is the home-canning extension figure: 2 tbsp dill weed per quart in place of 3 heads.
Fresh dill fronds
light, fresh and grassy
The feathery leaves from a supermarket bunch, and the mildest part of the plant. The starting amount is three times the dried dill weed figure, the usual fresh-for-dried rule.
- Best for
- refrigerator pickles, quick pickles eaten fresh
- Prep
- Start with about 2 tbsp chopped fronds per head, or tuck a whole sprig or two into each jar, and add more to taste in a refrigerator pickle.
- Where it fails
- The leaf has little of the seed flavor a head brings, and that flavor is delicate. For a strong dill pickle, use dill seed.
In a canned pickle, stay close to this amount and keep the vinegar, water and salt exactly as the tested recipe gives them.
Tips for substituting dill
4 tips- Put the seed in the jar first and pack the vegetables on top, so it stays under the brine.
- Use whole seed, not ground. Ground spices cloud the brine and darken the pickles.
- If the dill seed in your cupboard is old and has lost its smell, use the 2 tsp end of the range.
- The same amounts work for dilly beans, pickled okra and any other recipe that calls for heads of dill.
Questions
5 questionsHow much dill seed equals one head of dill?
1 to 2 teaspoons. The figure comes from home-canning guidance that treats 3 heads of fresh dill and 1 to 2 tablespoons of dill seed as the same thing for a quart jar. For a pint jar that calls for one head, use 1 to 2 teaspoons of seed.
Is it safe to swap dill seed for dill heads in a canning recipe?
Yes. Dill is there for flavor, and changing a dried spice or herb does not change the acidity that keeps a pickle safe. Keep the vinegar, water, salt and vegetable amounts and the processing time exactly as the tested recipe gives them.
Will pickles made with dill seed taste the same?
Close, not identical. Dill seed gives the sharp, slightly caraway-like flavor most people think of as dill pickle. A fresh head adds a greener, grassier note on top of that, and it looks the part in the jar. A little fresh or dried dill weed added with the seed brings some of that back.
What is a dill head?
The flowering top of the dill plant: an umbrella-shaped cluster of yellow flowers that sets green seeds, usually cut with a few inches of stem. Pickling recipes count one cluster as one head. It is in season for only part of the summer, which is why recipes need a dried stand-in.
What about the other way, dill heads for dill seed?
Use one fresh head for each 1 to 2 teaspoons of dill seed the recipe calls for, so 3 heads for a quart recipe written with 1 to 2 tablespoons of seed.