How to Dry Hot Peppers
February 17, 2009 | In: Cooking
Do you love spicy food? How about buying large quantities of hot peppers and dry them for long-term use?
The first way to dry pepper is to air dry them. This doesn’t need special gadgets, but it does take time – about a few weeks before the peppers are dried completely. What you do is to leave the peppers whole, including the stem. String them together using a long, sharp needle and some very strong thread. Don’t forget to leave enough room so that air can circulate between each pepper. Hang the stringed peppers in a warm, dry place – somewhere that is directly under sunlight if possible.
A shorter way of drying peppers is by using an oven. Slice the peppers in half. You may remove the stems and seeds at this point if you like. Arrange the sliced peppers on a baking sheet and slide into the oven which has been heated to 100 to 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Do not close the oven door. Leaving it open will make the air circulate. Turn the peppers frequently (every 5 or 10 minutes) so that they dry evenly and with no moisture left over.
Air dried peppers will retain their color while the oven dried ones will lose theirs. Store the peppers in an airtight container or zippered plastic bag once they are completely dried. Place the container in a cool, dry place. You may ground the dried peppers or you may rehydrate them by soaking them in water before using.
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