Stinky brown dill seed

Something I have always noticed with the dill weed seed that is weird. Dill leaves, dill flowers and the young seed pods always smell like dill, why wouldn't they.

But....now when those seed pods turn brown and are about to fall off the plants, that scent of the dill seeds, to me anyways, now does not smell like dill. I think it smells like anise (licorice). I remember years ago, gathering the dill weed brown seeds and then throwing them out, because they smelled like licorice, not dill. I never gathered brown dill seed again to put in the dill pickles, because of the annoying smell. I can't stand the smell of anise, (licorice).

I will only use the young flowers and parts of the plant for dill pickles because of this untoward scent of the brown seeds. I have copious amounts of dill everywhere, so have the luxury of choosing not to use the brown seeds.

Why does this dill seed when it matures to brown smell like licorice? Has anyone else noticed that, but WHY?????? I really need to know, I really need to know. Did I mention I really need to know?

Green seeds, dill scent, brown seeds matured, licorice stink!!

By the way, I have like a rubbermaid of dill heads that I have picked, I can barely stand to go near it because of the scent of licorice, but know that I must rub the seeds off the umbrels!! Help!! Maybe I could get my Grandsons to do this nasty task. Wait. I could put Vicks vapour rub below my nose and just do it myself, I guess, smiling.

So, come on, let me hear your thoughts, how can dill scent change to licorice scent, beautiful days, full of hope, love, happiness and health, CynthiaM.

That is weird, never noticed it before, have you tasted one of those seeds?

Hmm....I should come over, I love the smell of licorice!!! I love to eat licorice and anything with aniseed in it. Yum

Sounds to me like Fennel
Dill will always smell like dill
and Fennel will always smell like Licorice
Alot of times some nurserys will sell fennel as dill
also
differences in the stems and fruits

Fennel - stems solid at first, becoming +/- hollow; ...; fruits scarcely
compressed, c. 2-4x as long as wide, ..., with prominent thick ribs.

Dill - stems hollow; ...; fruits strongly dorsally compressed, c. 2x as
long as wide, ..., with prominent slender dorsal ridges and
conspicuously winged lateral ones.

That is funny, I was thinking fennel, I have the bronze fennel here and it looks like dill except brown and also tastes like licorice.

Oh brother, come on, honestly. I have been gardening my entire life and certainly know the difference between dill and fennel, smiling. Not intending to sound rude, but I grow dill, and tons and tons of it, and have for many, many years. Walk through the dill patch and you will know that you have hit the gold mine with dill weed.

I am speaking of when the dill seed goes from the flower, to the green seed pod, which are kind of roundish, then to the flat, brown dill seed, the ripe seed. That smells like licorice, up until that point the plants and the umbrels that hold the flowers and seed smell like dill. I grow dill, I do not grow fennel, period.

I think later in my meandering around the garden, I am going to pick one of those brown seeds and taste it, bet my bottom dollar that it tastes like anise (licorice taste). Anyways, still wondering how this very evident difference in scent can occur. Maybe someone will have a good explanation , have a most beautiful and wonderful day. CynthiaM.

CynthiaM wrote:Oh brother, come on, honestly. I have been gardening my entire life and certainly know the difference between dill and fennel, smiling. Not intending to sound rude, but I grow dill, and tons and tons of it, and have for many, many years. Walk through the dill patch and you will know that you have hit the gold mine with dill weed.

I am speaking of when the dill seed goes from the flower, to the green seed pod, which are kind of roundish, then to the flat, brown dill seed, the ripe seed. That smells like licorice, up until that point the plants and the umbrels that hold the flowers and seed smell like dill. I grow dill, I do not grow fennel, period.

I think later in my meandering around the garden, I am going to pick one of those brown seeds and taste it, bet my bottom dollar that it tastes like anise (licorice taste). Anyways, still wondering how this very evident difference in scent can occur. Maybe someone will have a good explanation , have a most beautiful and wonderful day. CynthiaM.

Was not saying any thing about your gardening skills
just stating what it possibly could be

I also did a search on your question on what it could be
and alot of gardeners said the same thing
I will leave this post now hope you find what it is as I guess beings 54 years old and Gardening most of my life I will say I have no Idea what you have growing

Joe

Joe, I apologize, I think you took my manner the wrong way, sorry about that, I mean it. I did not think you were judging my gardening skills, please to accept my apology if I have offended you.

A friend of mine went out to her dill patch and picked off some of the brown seeds, she too said the same thing, the scent of anise.

Thank you for taking the time Joe, of searching out my question on the net to see if others have observed this, good on you.

so, I guess the thing is, don't use the brown seeds in the dill pickles. Or maybe they have a magic when they come into contact with pickle making ingredients, the brown seed may revert back to the scent of the dill, smiling. have a wonderful day, CynthiaM.

I am completely unfamiliar with fennel but have read that it can cross with dill(Culinary Herbs for Short Season Gardeners by Ernest Small & Grace Deutsch). It says "This is unlikely to change the taste of the seeds that are produced, but the hybrid seeds can't be used to grow either good fennel or good dill". So if your dill crossed with a neighbor's fennel one year and self-seeded after that it could possibly explain it.

Matthew

Looking back at your posts I see you've noticed this for a long time so maybe the hybrid theory isn't very likely. I went and took a good whiff of my own dill seed and can't say the smell even remotely resembles anise, so who knows The seed doesn't smell like fresh dill or green seeds, but not like anise either.

Yesterday took a stroll through the dill weeds, picked off a few brown seeds, still smelling like anise (licorice scent, smiling), put a few in my mouth, tasted like licorice, but when I started to chew them -- guess what? They tasted like dill. So now I feel comfortable that the seed can be used in pickles. Not that I need to, but I have pounds and pounds of dill seed gathered. Anyone want some, smiling. Have a most beautiful and wonderful day, CynthiaM.

We were dealing with (fresh) dill seed today canning, as well as the youngerish umbrells as you say because we didn't have quite enough seed. As for the seeds, I wouldn't say they smelled anything like licorice (anise), but, to me they smelled nothing of dill, just kinda stale smelling. I didn't taste them. Funny thing.

I have been searching for fresh dill to do up my pickles. I didn't find any anywhere in time andhad to do them up with dried dill from the store, ugh! I really need to sow a dill patch next spring.

Cynthia, would you be so kind to sell me a packet of your dill seed when it is ready?

I will PM you my address