How to Make a String of Chilies

Farmers string red chilies together to dry in the Sun.

Dry red chilies strung together for decoration are common in the southwestern United States. The University of California's Vegetable Research and Information Center states that the vibrant strings are called ristras. People string ristras when the chilies are still fresh. Then, they hang them in the Sun to dry the peppers to use in cooking. The practice is popular in New Mexico where farmers gather chilies from September until the first frost of the year. They dry the chilies to use throughout the winter. Does this Spark an idea?

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5 lbs. red chilies
Cotton string
Baling wire or twine
Scissors

Instructions

- 1
  
  Cut a piece of baling wire 6 inches longer than you want the final string of chiles to hang. Fashion a knot or twist at on end of the wire. This will be the bottom when you hang the completed string. The twisted wire will keep peppers from sliding off.
- 2
  
  Pick up three peppers by the stem. Wrap cotton string around the clustered stems two times.
- 3
  
  Bring the string down the side of the peppers until you reach their tips. Bring the string back up in between the chilies from the bottom to the top of the cluster. The string will catch on the twist you already formed.
- 4
  
  Tie the string in a loose knot like a lasso. Put the loop over the stems. Pull the string to secure the knot on the stems.
- 5
  
  Repeat the process with another cluster of three chilies. Leave between 3 inches to 5 inches. between each cluster of chilies. Continue until you have strung all the chilies.
- 6
  
  Weave the string of chili clusters around the wire, starting from the bottom. The gaps in the string will allow you to weave around clusters already on the wire. You can weave the string indiscriminately, but the final shape should be top-heavy, like a bunch of grapes on the vine.
- 7
  
  Hang the wired string by the 6 inches of wire left at the top end.