Dill Weed vs. Dill Seeds
Answered by: Conrad Richter
Question from: Carolyn McClain
Posted on: May 16, 2001

I have been given a great recipe for a dill casserole bread, but it calls for dill seeds and a friend suggested your web page for inquiry. I have used dill weed for many years but never seeds. Is there somewhere I might find an equivalency for 2 teaspoons of dill seeds? Is there something I might be missing by not using seeds? I would also be happy to give you this recipe.

Dillweed and dill seeds are not exactly equivalent: both have a characteristic pungent flavour, but dillweed is more delicate. Dillweed, the fresh-cut or dried leaves of the plant, are used like a ‘herb’ in cream cheese and sour cream dips, cucumber salads, salad dressings, with eggs and fish. Dill seeds are used more like a ‘spice’ in pickles, sauerkraut and Indian dishes.

In the case of your casserole bread, dillweed could likely be used in place of seeds but it would have to be incorporated differently. Seeds bake well but dill weed does not. Dried dill weed probably won’t have much flavour, and fresh dill weed has to be incorporated late in the baking stage or all the flavour will be lost. It certainly is possible to create some wonderful breads with fresh dill weed but you need to work out a modification to the recipe to sprinkle on the fresh leaves near the end of the bake time.

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