The key ingredient in my garden today is dill. The dill stalks are taller than almost everything. The dill seeds are drying on the vine. The dill weed pieces are drying, too, but not quite as fast as the seed.

Dill seeds on the vine

I thought it would be easy. Strip the seeds from the blossom, throw the remains in the compost, store the seeds in a jar for winter cooking.

About a third of the seeds were still slightly green. Digging out the dry ones with a tweezers was not a high priority, so I left the bowl outside to dry in the sun.

Dill, in full color

Then Mother Nature sent rain.

Wet dill. Wet, wet, wet.

With a deep sigh, I drained off the water and set the seeds on a towel to dry – again.

The dill weed, the feathery branches of the plant, went into the oven at a low temperature. The dehydrated, dried results ended up in a jar and ready for using in all kinds of salads and rubs when the weather gets cool.

Recipe ideas are welcome.