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HOW TO DEHYDRATE HOT PEPPERS

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Sometimes we can’t use up all of the hot peppers that we buy or grow. Luckily they are extremely easy to dry and preserve.

When I have excess cucumbers a great way to preserve them, increase their flavor, and make them healthier is by making Lacto Fermented Pickles! Its so easy and can use as few as 2 ingredients to make. If you plant any squash or pumpkins then, you will have an abundance of male flowers which can be used to make Fried Squash Blossoms and/or Pickled Squash Blossoms!

WHAT KINDS OF PEPPERS CAN YOU DRY

Theoretically you could dry any pepper that you want! Some of them may turn out better tasting or more colorful and presentable. But, no doubt drying peppers for storage is a very effective way to preserve all kinds of peppers.

GHOST PEPPERS
GHOST PEPPERS
  • We have a combination of excess ghost peppers and excess tabasco peppers this year. Which is perfect because both of them are extremely useful and flavorful when dry! Albeit very spicy.
TABASCO PEPPERS

EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO DRY PEPPERS

  • The sky really is the limit here! You can basically dry peppers 5 different ways.
  • You can air dry them inside or outside on a rack, use a food dehydrator, hang dry them on string, use an air fryer, or dehydrate them in the oven.
  • I used a food dehydrator as I normally do! I will get in to how to use the other methods more down below!

HOW TO DRY HOT PEPPERS

  • First, lay them out and allow some space between them to allow air flow.
FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS FOR YOUR DEHYDRATOR. 125°F SHOULD DO THE TRICK!
  • Following instructions on your dehydrator will no doubt yield great results. But, if you lost them or don’t care then 125°F should do the trick.
  • How long they take to dehydrate greatly depends on their size, freshness, and rather you want to dehydrate them whole or sliced.
  • Just remember, the larger, fresher, whole peppers will take longest to dehydrate. To dehydrate them faster, you can slice them in to smaller sections. The smaller the sections, the faster they will dehydrate.
  • Store them in a glass jar for long term storage! They can be kept outside of the refrigerator or in the refrigerator for longer storage.

HOW LONG WILL PEPPERS STAY GOOD FOR?

  • If stored properly in an airtight container and stored in a cool dark place, your dried peppers will stay good for around 4 years outside of the refrigerator. That is a long time!
  • If they are placed in the freezer after being dried they will stay good for longer than this.
  • It should be noted that if they are powder or ground chili peppers, they will only stay good for around 1 year!

OTHER WAYS TO DRY PEPPERS

  • If using an oven, you can turn your oven down to the lowest setting and place the peppers on a rack on the top shelf of the oven and monitor them until they are dry!
  • If using a drying rack indoors, keep it near an area with good air flow and preferably a warm spot near a window. Monitor until dry.
  • Hanging the peppers from a string can be a very unique and beautiful way of drying peppers. It leaves such a rustic feel to your house. Simply use a string tied from one thing to another thing. Either tie a string around the stem of the pepper and then tie the other end around the other string. An additional way is to form a midline slip knot and insert the pepper stem into it and then pull it tight.
  • For an air fryer you can simply set your air fryer to the lowest temperature setting, and then air fry the peppers in 5-10 minute intervals until dry.

HOW TO USE DRIED PEPPERS

  • You can store them whole for longer term storage. But if you go to use them, whole is not always the best.
  • You can grind them in oil to make a fantastic salsa de chile. You can slice them and put them in soups or stews, or you can grind them in to a powder to add spice, flavor, and color to your favorite dishes!

HOW TO DRY HOT PEPPERS

HOW TO DRY HOT PEPPERS

Sometimes we can't use up all of the hot peppers that we buy or grow. Here is how to easily dry and preserve them so that they will stay good for years.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Additional Time 12 hours
Total Time 12 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • PEPPERS - SPICY, MILD, OR SWEET

Instructions

  1. Place the peppers in the dehydrator and give them some space in between them to allow airflow.
  2. Set your dehydrator to the recommended temperature and time settings. Mine recommends 125°F and I dried these for about 16 hours.
  3. Monitor them periodically as they dry, you will want them to be cracker dry.
  4. Store in glass jar or food storage container in a cool dark place for up to 4 years.

Notes

  • The smaller you slice the peppers before drying, the faster they will dry.
  • You can also use an air fryer on the lowest setting, air frying for 5-10 minutes at a time until the peppers are dry. An oven, on the lowest setting. Hanging them from their stems by a string in an open room or shed. Placing them on a rack and leaving them open to air, indoors or outdoors will also work to dry them.
  • Since I am using a traditional food dehydrator, the bottom will normally be hotter than the top or you will find that one part of your dehydrator is hotter. You can rotate the peppers so that they will all be dried evenly, or you can take the dry ones away as they are ready and replace them with more fresh ones.

Nutrition Information:

Serving Size:

100
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 278Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2.5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1640mgCarbohydrates: 50gFiber: 35gSugar: 7gProtein: 14g
© Eligh Miller-Polivka

Eligh Miller-Polivka
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