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<\/p>\nWhether you found a great deal on peppers at the farmers market or harvested a bumper crop of chiles, you can turn that bounty into a shelf stable pantry staple that will add lots of flavor to your meals. Here are three ways to dry peppers for food storage.<\/p>\n
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Got peppers? Drying is an excellent way to preserve peppers. Dehydrating removes the moisture and concentrates the flavor and heat of the peppers.<\/p>\n
Dried peppers are very versatile. They can be ground into powders, or rehydrated to use in sauces, soups, stews, and chilies.<\/p>\n
Any type of pepper can be dried for food storage. Here are some common peppers that work well when dried:<\/p>\n
If you live in a dry climate with day temperatures above 85\u02daF (20\u02daC), air-drying is the easiest method to dry peppers.<\/p>\n
Choose thin walled peppers for air-drying. Thicker peppers will not dry fast enough and may begin molding.<\/p>\n
Select freshly harvested fruit with no insect damage or blemishes.<\/p>\n
Use a long needle and thread to string the peppers together through the stems. Leave plenty of space in between the peppers for airflow.<\/p>\n
Hang your peppers to dry in an area with good airflow and sunshine. Depending on the humidity in the air, this method can take 3-4 weeks until the peppers are fully dry. Peppers are dried completely when brittle. Store fully dried peppers in airtight jars away from sunlight.<\/p>\n
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Since our summers here are humid, the moisture in the air can prevent peppers from air-drying naturally. A food dehydrator is the quickest and easiest way for us to dry peppers. A dehydrator works by circulating a gentle flow of slightly heated air through screens.<\/p>\n
Choose freshly harvested fruit with no insect damage or blemishes. Small chile peppers can be dried whole. Larger peppers will dehydrate quicker when cut into pieces. Use gloves when handling hot peppers, and cut them into uniform pieces.<\/p>\n
Spread the peppers out on the screens and set the temperature between 125\u02daF and 135\u02daF (or per your food dehydrator’s instructions). Rotate the screens frequently and remove the peppers that are dry. The peppers are dried completely when brittle. Dehydrating time can take 4-12 hours depending on the peppers. Store the dehydrated peppers in glass jars away from direct light to preserve the color.<\/p>\n
Alternatively, peppers can be dried in the oven at a very low temperature.<\/p>\n
Choose freshly harvested peppers with no soft spots. Cut larger peppers into uniform pieces so they dry quicker. Small peppers can be dried whole. Use gloves when handling hot peppers.<\/p>\n
Spread the peppers out on baking sheets and place in a 150\u02daF oven. Leave the door open a crack to allow moisture to escape.<\/p>\n
Check on the peppers every 30 minutes and rotate and remove the ones that are dry. Depending on the peppers, drying in the oven can take 1-2 hours. The peppers are dried completely when brittle. Store fully dried peppers in airtight jars away from sunlight.<\/p>\n
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Dried peppers are very versatile. Add dried peppers directly to soups and they will rehydrate as it simmers. Rehydrate dried peppers and blend them into sauces and salsas. Blend dried peppers into flakes or powder and use it in your favorite recipes, spice blends, and dry rubs. Below are several ways to cook with dried peppers:<\/p>\n
This is deal for slow cooked recipes such as soups, stews, or chilies that simmer for a long period of time. The peppers will rehydrate using the liquid in the pot. As the peppers rehydrate, they infuse their flavor into the liquid.<\/p>\n
Most red pepper flakes and chili powder found in stores are made from cayenne and a mix of chile peppers. Sometimes they have been stored on shelves for so long that they lose their flavor. When you make your own crushed red pepper flakes, you can select the flavor and heat level by using hot or mild dried chiles. Pepper flakes don’t have to be red either. You can use any dried pepper for this spice, sweet or hot.<\/p>\n
Many store bought chili powders are filled with additional ingredients including cumin, onion, garlic powder, and salt. Make you own pure chili powder with just pure ground dried chile peppers. You can combine different chile peppers to develop your own unique version.<\/p>\n
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