Dehydrating Peppers

How to Dry or Dehydrate Chili Peppers

Dehydrating chili peppers is one my favorite ways to preserve our chili pepper harvest. With so many peppers coming out of the garden, it can be difficult to keep them all, but once you start dehydrating, you start to realize you could grow so much more.

I fell in love with dehydrating so much that I wrote an entire book on the subject. Yes, I am the author of "The Spicy Dehydrator Cookbook". I hope you will check it out.

Once you've dehydrated your peppers, they will last an incredibly long time, pretty much indefinitely if you keep them sealed in protected bags.

You can dehydrate them whole and use them for decorating purposes, or seal them and grind them up as needed. Keeping them whole will keep their overall heat and flavor longer, as the heat does tend to fade over time.

How to Dehydrate Chili Peppers - the Method

NOTE: The full instructions with measurements are listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Wash and dry your chili peppers. Choose only fresh peppers. If they show any signs of rotting, throw them away.

Wearing gloves, remove the stems and slice the thicker peppers into rings and thinner peppers in half. Leave them whole if you prefer, but they will take much longer to dehydrate.

The gloves are important when working with peppers because the oils from the peppers can burn your skin, and the pain can linger. Need help? How to Stop the Chili Pepper Burn On Your Skin.

Place the peppers on the trays of the dehydrator. Spread them out evenly so the heat can distribute properly.

Turn on the dehydrator at 135-140 degrees F, or whatever setting your dehydrator recommends.

Drying Tip

I like to place my dehydrator in the garage because it will release fumes over time and you will notice the odor. Let the dehydrator sit anywhere from 5 hours to overnight.

It will very likely take longer than 5 hours, but much depends on the thickness of the pepper walls and how many peppers you're working with.

I personally turn mine on when I go to bed and check it in the morning. The peppers are usually dried by morning, but if not, just leave them in longer until they are dried.

Safety Advice When Drying Peppers

When working with hotter peppers, including superhots, it is important to wear gloves when handling peppers both in raw and dried forms. The oils can get on your skin and cause burning sensations.

Need help? How to Stop the Chili Pepper Burn On Your Skin.

Also, if making powders from dried peppers, the powders are quite fine and may get into the air if you are not working in a well ventilated room, so you may want to wear a mask and goggles. They can cause you to cough and sneeze.

Superhot chili peppers, truly, are called superhots for a reason.

Yield

1 pound of fresh chili peppers will yield about 4 ounces of dried chili pepper pods. The 1:4 ratio is usually one you can rely on.

See my post on Chili Pepper Measurement Conversions.

How to Store Dried Chili Peppers

Once your chilies are dried, remove and store them in baggies or containers, or use as you wish. Keep them in a dark place, like your pantry, for freshness.

How Long Do Dried Chili Peppers Last?

Dried chili peppers will last for many years when properly stored. They will begin to lose some potency after 6-12 months, but can still be used.

How to Use Dried Peppers

How do you use dried peppers? Here are several ways I used them.

• Make Chili Flakes. Simply add the dried peppers to a baggie and crush them by hand to make your own chili flakes. See my post on Homemade Chili Flakes.
• Make Chili Powders. Grind your dried peppers into powder form for sprinkling over foods or making your own unique chili powder blends.
• Make Your Own Spice Blends. Mix your fresh chili powder with other dried ingredients to make your own unique, personalized seasoning blends. See my Homemade Seasonings/Spice Blends for a few ideas.
• Make Hot Sauce. You can make hot sauce from both dried peppers and chili powder. See my post on How to Make Hot Sauce from Dried Chilies. Works great for other sauces, too.
• Pepper Grinder. Add them into a pepper grinder and use them to grind over your favorite foods, like pizza.
• Make Chili Paste. Dried peppers can be rehydrated in hot water or liquid and blended with other ingredients to make chili paste and other sauces.