Air Drying Chilli Peppers

If you’re anything at all like me, chillies, especially the hot ones are an ingredient best used very sparingly. As a little chilli goes a long way in our house, what do you do if you come into a large number of fresh chillies all at once? Rather than just letting them spoil, why not try drying them instead.

The process starts with the fresh chillies. They should have the stalk still attached and be in good condition. The adjacent picture shows the chillies we are going to use in this example. We were given them by a friend who grows their own and had a glut at harvest time.

The next step is to take some string and tie them to it as close together as possible however it doesn’t really matter how far they are apart so long as you have enough space to hang them. When doing this I use a simple slip knot which is easy to tie and release but if you happen to have a heavy needle handy you can also thread the chillies onto the string using that as well. If using a needle you need to thread them through the base of the stem rather than through the flesh of the chilli.

The next step is an easy one; simply hang the string of chillies and leave them for a few weeks. The best place is to hang them in a well ventilated area with plenty of air flow. The actual drying time will depend upon the conditions where you hang them. High humidity, cooler temperatures and low air flow will mean a longer drying time. Low humidity, higher temperatures and good air flow will dry the chillies faster.

After a while you will see that the skin will start to wrinkle up, the chillies will start to shrink slightly and get lighter as the moisture is removed. When they are dry you can remove them from the string and store them in an air tight container. If stored in a cool dark location, dry chillies can last for up to a year. The method outlined above will work for most varieties of chilli pepper providing they aren’t too big.

For those of us for whom a little Chilli goes a long way, drying Chilli Peppers is an easy way to extend the life of this versatile cooking staple.