I got some potato soup I just started brewing in the crock pot. I’d like to to throw some baby dill in there.
The thing is, I’ve never cooked with dill before. About how much should I use for about 5lbs worth of taters? (Remember it’s fresh not dried)
Thanks.
Personally, I’d go light on the dill. Even fresh it’s very strong and can easily overwhelm a dish.
What’s a crock pot full of taters, would you say ten big bowlfuls? That’s twenty good pinches of finely chopped fresh dill which comes out to… let’s see here… one bunch, maybe two. (Yeah, I’m really precise when I make soup.)
Ruby is right about the flavor potential of dill. Go ahead and munch on a couple of sprigs to gauge the strength, and go by instinct from there. I would guess no more than four heaping tablespoons or a packed quarter-cup should do it. Dump it in toward the end of cooking to retain the color and fresh flavor.
Keep in mind your soup will get more scrum-dilly-umptious overnight all by itself, and that’s when you’ll find out if you added too much, but you’ll also have more fresh dill on reserve just in case or to use as a garnish on top.
Dill is overwhelming, in my opinion. Use less than you think you should, and if it’s too weak make a point to use more next time. But too much dill, and no matter what it is, it tastes like pickles.
Dill weed, not seed, tastes like pickles to you? I think the flavors are very different. But then I also tend to heap on the dill when I use it.
pop a pinch in your mouth and chew.
Fresh dill cooked in your soup is going to produce some flavor, but most of it will disappear with cooking. Dried dill weed, on the other hand, will produce a stronger flavor. My suggestion (as with most fresh herbs) is to add a small amount of the fresh dill to your soup bowl and ladle the hot soup over it. You’ll get a burst of herb aroma and flavor.
When Mrs. Evil Captor got pregnant, she had a variation on the usual pickle thing … she craved dill. LURVED dill. One night she made potato and leek soup with dill. Lots and lots of dill. Lots and lots and lots of dill. Whole huge acres of dill! It tasted like … dill! Waaaaaay too much like dill. I found it not all that edible but forced a bowl down because, you know, pregnant wife and all. She took a few gulps of her soup after I finished mine and declared that she had had about enough of dill for the rest of her life … and she’s never really done much with dill since. the dill lust was replaced in a matter of seconds with dill revulsion. So let that be a lesson to you! Of what … I’m not sure …
Definitely add it at the very end to taste. My folks used a shit ton of dill (they’re Polish), growing up, but it was always added at the end of the cooking time, and cooked for no more than 5 minutes or so. More often, just added fresh upon serving. It’s not an herb that holds up well to long cooking.
Thanks guys. As soon as I opened up the package, I got the sense that it was a very strong herb as it smelled up my entire kitchen. (No need to taste. Heh)
I used it sparingly. The soup isn’t ready yet but we’ll see how it turns out.
(Sorry, Pulykamell I already added the spice. It still has a while to cook. Should have read your advice before)
Nitpick: herb. You added the dill herb. If it’s leaves, it’s herb, if it’s seeds (or bark or flowers or arils or other bits) it’s spice.
You’ll still taste it, it will just be a lot more subdued. Other delicate herbs (when fresh) you really should add towards the end: parsley, basil, cilantro, chervil, tarragon. Now, this isn’t a hard-and-fast rule. A lot of these herbs will end up in the beginning of a stock as part of a bouquet garni. But, generally speaking, they do best towards the end, if you really want to take advantage of their fresh taste and fragrant aroma.
Just add a bit more to the bowl before serving. It’s all good.