Recipe Tips:

• • For the very best flavor, use fresh squeezed lemon. There’s just something so fresh and light about using juice from a real lemon. For maximum juice, roll it on the counter for a few seconds before slicing in half and squeeze cut side up, to avoid getting seeds in the sauce. Or you can microwave your lemon for about 10 seconds, which really gets those tangy juices flowing.

• • Use fresh dill. Dill weed loses its freshness quickly, so if you’re purchasing dill, use it with a day or two of purchase. If you grow dill in your garden, pick it just before you plant to use it in a recipe. The dill leaves will wilt and lose their flavor if kept in the fridge too long.

• • Don’t worry about too much dill overpowering the dish. The dill weed has such a mild flavor that you can add quite a bit if you choose.
  • Some people use a dill pickle relish but for the best taste I highly recommend chopping your own dill pickles.

• • When chopping fresh dill leaves, remove the feathery fern-like leaves and stems from the thick center stem. Discard the stem, then use a sharp chopping knife to mince the leaves to the desired consistency.

• • If you don’t have fresh dill available, use dried dill! Be sure to crush the dill leaves between your fingers before adding to the tartar sauce, which will bring out more of the flavor.

• • Use a good quality mayonnaise; it makes a huge difference in the taste of the sauce. We really love Best Foods or Hellman’s Mayo, but use whatever you prefer.

• • If you want to make tartar sauce lighter (without mayo), try using plain Greek yogurt. It'll also give it a boost of protein.