How to Dry Chili Peppers

Drying chili peppers is one way to preserve the fruit.

After harvesting chili peppers from your garden, dry the surplus peppers for later use. A home food dehydrator is an efficient way to dry vegetables. Before using the appliance, always wash and dry the food trays. Blanching peppers before drying inhibits enzyme activity and destroys harmful bacteria. According to the Colorado State University Extension, roasting instead of blanching is another option for green chili peppers.

Things You'll Need

• Knife
• Cooking pot
• Pan
• 3-foot by 3-foot piece of cheesecloth
• Paper towel
• Food dehydrator
• Heat resistant tongs

Instructions

Blanching And Drying Red and Green Peppers

1. Harvest ripe chili peppers, free of blemishes. Do not dry overripe peppers.

2. Wash the chili peppers in water.

3. Slice a red pepper into equal-sized pieces or leave smaller peppers whole.

4. Make a slit down one side of the skin of a green pepper, down the length of the pepper. Peel the green pepper. Split it open and discard the seeds and stem.

5. Fill a cooking pot halfway full with water and bring to a boil.

6. Fill a pan with ice-cold water.

7. Place the peppers in the center of the cheesecloth and gather up the four corners, creating a pouch with the peppers inside.

8. Drop the cheesecloth in the boiling water, so that the vegetables are completely covered. Be careful not to burn your hand as you continue to hold the four corners of the cloth together. Jiggle the bag a bit, to surround all the peppers with boiling water.

9. Keep the peppers in the water for about four minutes.

10. Submerge the peppers immediately in ice-cold water to blanch and then dry on a paper towel.

11. Arrange the dry peppers on a clean food dehydrator food tray, without the pieces touching each other.

12. Place the tray in the food dehydrator and process for about 12 to 24 hours, at 140 degrees F. Red peppers are done when flexible, dark red and shrunken. Green peppers will be medium green, crisp and brittle.

Roasting And Drying Green Peppers

1. Harvest ripe green chili peppers, free of blemishes. Do not dry overripe peppers.

2. Wash the green chili peppers in water.

3. Make a slit down one side of the skin of a green pepper, down the length of the pepper. Peel the green pepper. Split it open and discard the seeds and stem.

4. Hold a pepper in a heat resistant pair of tongs, and roast the pepper over an open flame for six to eight minutes, continually turning the pepper.

5. Arrange the dry, roasted peppers on a clean food dehydrator food tray, without the pieces touching each other.

6. Place the tray in the food dehydrator and process for about 12 to 24 hours, at 140 degrees F. When sufficiently dried, green peppers will be medium green, crisp and brittle.

Tips & Warnings

• Wear food-safe gloves when cutting peppers, and don't touch your face.

References

• Colorado State University Extension: Drying Vegetables
• Clemson Cooperative Extension: Drying Vegetables]
• Oregon State University Extension: Preserving Foods: Peppers