How to Dry Large Peppers

The sun helps speed pepper drying.

Drying allows you to store an abundance of peppers for a year or longer. Small peppers dry well when left whole, but larger peppers may remain moist on the interior even after a long drying time. Both hot and sweet peppers respond well to drying. The drying process concentrates the flavor of the peppers, so hot peppers may taste spicier when used. Cutting large peppers into smaller pieces doesn't just help them dry more thoroughly, it also allows you to use a smaller amount of pepper when desired. Does this Spark an idea?

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Cloth
Knife
Screen
Container

Instructions

- 1
  
  Wipe the surface of the pepper with a damp cloth, removing any soil on the surface. Wipe dry with a second cloth.
- 2
  
  Cut the stem end off the pepper. Remove the core and seeds from bell peppers. Leave the seeds in hot peppers, if preferred.
- 3
  
  Slice the pepper in half from the stem end to the bottom. Alternatively, cut the entire pepper into ½-inch pieces.
- 4
  
  Lay the pepper halves or pieces cut side down on a screen. Arrange the peppers in a single layer so they aren't touching each other.
- 5
  
  Place the screen in a warm, well-ventilated location. Set the screens outside if it's sunny, dry and above 85 F outside, or dry them inside in a warm room.
- 6
  
  Turn the peppers every three to four days so all sides dry evenly. Peppers typically take two to three weeks to dry thoroughly. Properly dried peppers are hard and brittle with no moist or soft spots.
- 7
  
  Turn the peppers every three to four days so all sides dry evenly. Peppers typically take two to three weeks to dry thoroughly. Properly dried peppers are hard and brittle with no moist or soft spots.

Tips & Warnings

Cover the peppers with cheesecloth to keep insects and dirt off them if you are drying them outside.
Dry the peppers in a dehydrator or oven set to 140 F. It takes between six and 10 hours to dry peppers in this manner.
Wear gloves when handling hot peppers and do not touch your eyes or mouth until you have thoroughly washed your hands.