An herb is a plant whose leaves, seeds, or flowers are used for flavoring food or in medicine. Other uses of herbs include cosmetics, dyes, and perfumes. The name derives from the Latin herba, meaning "green crops." Dill is a plant (Anethum graveolens), that yields both a seed-like fruit referred to as dill seed or dill and leafy growth called dill weed. The plant is in the same family, Apiaceae, as anise, fennel, cilantro, caraway, and cumin.

History. The Greek physician Hippocrates, known for the Hippocratic Oath, recorded a recipe for a dill mouthwash. It is mentioned in Charlemagne's list of herbs, and he served dill tea.

Description. Like a number of the other herbs in its family, dill is a tall plant, often reaching a height of 3 ft. (~1 m.), and topped with the characteristic feathery leaves. Some strains have been developed to be shorter, to resist bolting, or to maximize seed production. Flowers range from white to yellow.

Gardening. Dill is a sun-loving, hardy annual that is grown from seed. You can let it reseed itself, if you don't harvest the seeds. Dill has a taproot like coriander and should not be transplanted. Succession planting assures that dill weed is available all season, even as the earlier plantings bolt. Don't grow dill near fennel, because they may cross-pollinate.

Food and other uses. Dill is well known as the prime flavoring ingredient in dill pickles and other pickled vegetables, but it is also popular for flavoring vinegars. It is an ingredient in many Scandinavian and German fish and seafood dishes and sauces, including gravlax, and is used in soups with a variety of origins, including borscht. Dill is used as a garnish in the Baltic states, in onion dill bread, and in dips and salad dressings, including those used for potato salad.

Preservation. The most popular way to preserve dill is by using it in pickles. Dill weed can also be frozen for several months, a preferable method to drying it. To harvest the fruit, gather the dead flower heads and shake them into a bag, or -- to make sure you don't loose seeds -- wrap the seed heads first in cheesecloth, netting, or pantyhose and use the cloth to collect the seeds. Seeds should be dried in a cool, dry place.