Perfect pickles: What dill is your best bet

Dill is an essential ingredient in pickles. However, many people ponder over the fitting addition. Should you go for fresh green dill or mature umbels? Or maybe dried dill would be better? We resolve these doubts below.

Dill affects the taste of pickled cucumbers—there's no doubt about that. The best are dill umbels with green seeds. In this form, they have the most essential oils. Additionally, adding dill umbels has another important feature—it speeds up fermentation due to the presence of natural microorganisms. Dill also makes pickled cucumbers firmer and retains their properties for longer. The dill umbels should be rinsed under cold water and then dried. Prepared this way, they will best serve the preparation of pickles.

And what about young green dill? Is it also suitable as an addition to pickled cucumbers? Opinions are divided here, but one should remember that green dill is delicate and spoils quickly. Therefore, it can also adversely affect the fermentation process. However, this dill will work for quick pickles, which are ready in a short time.

Another dilemma is choosing between dried and fresh dill. Here, it's worth sticking to the general rule that dried spices or herbs, including dill and allspice or bay leaves, release bitterness due to prolonged soaking. Therefore, avoid adding dried dill if you don't want to get bitter pickles. However, enthusiasts of dried spices should not combine too many dried additions in one pickling batch.

Therefore, to prepare tasty and firm pickled cucumbers, you should choose fresh dill umbels, horseradish root, and garlic. Significant additions can also be currant, grape, and raspberry leaves, as well as cherry or oak, as they contain substances responsible for cucumber firmness.