Drying chili peppers is a great way to store them for the long term. You don't want to waste any of those chili peppers picked from that huge harvest this year. Here are a few ways to dry them so they don't go to waste.
The Basic Method for Drying Chili Peppers
Wash your chili peppers thoroughly after picking to remove any dirt, then dry.
Place on a plate or a wire rack in a dry, well ventilated room. You can also string the chilies up on string or thread and hang to dry. Within several weeks, you will have dried chili peppers and you can grind them up or use them as ornaments as desired.
Oven Drying Instructions
- Wash your chili peppers thoroughly after picking to remove any dirt.
- Cut them in half, lengthwise to expose the pepper innards.
- Arrange the chili peppers over a baking sheet.
- Bake at low heat, about 100 to 135 degrees.
- There is no set time to bake the chili peppers for drying. Keep an eye on them, turning every few minutes or so. You can leave the oven door cracked for some air flow. It will take several hours with this method. Keep in the oven until the moisture has been baked out of them. Use as desired!
Drying Chili Peppers Without an Oven - Air Drying
- In this case, dry your chili peppers whole. Do not slice.
- String them together on some strong thread with a few inches between each jalapeno peppers.
- Hang the chili peppers in direct sunlight. Be sure it is dry and warm.
It can take several weeks for the jalapenos to completely dry with this method, but it'll be worth it!
Last but not least, you can also consider a food dehydrator, which is a more fool proof method of drying chili peppers.
Drying Chili Peppers with a Dehydrator
A dehydrator is probably the easiest method for drying chili peppers. A dehydrator encloses the chili peppers and dries them overnight in soft heat. Slice them up before dehydrating for faster dehydration. You can find dehydrators in stores or online.
NOTE: This is the food dehydrator that I use. It works GREAT and I highly recommend it. It's an affiliate link, FYI: Food Dehydrator: Nesco Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator FD-75A - For dehydrating peppers and making powders.
What can you do with your dried chili peppers?
Grind them up to make your own chili powder, which is like cayenne powder, or keep them whole and use them as you might use a sun dried tomato. They can be rehydrated with hot water and go great with many recipes!
Also see: How to Rehydrate Dried Chili Peppers
David says
Hello,
I have bought some carolina reaper chillies online. They've arrived but some of them have black dots on them.
I presume this is a fungus or virus. Are they still okay to air dry like this? Or should i separate the good ones with the ones with black dots. I plan to hang them and air dry them - I'm in Ireland, so the climate is mild.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
David, it sounds like you have some signs of rot, so those should be separated and discarded. If you really want to try to save them, you can cut them open. If there is no additional signs of rot, you can cut away the bad spots and use what is left, if you feel they're OK. Let me know how that turns out for you.
Fred says
I have strung up some Ring of Fire, Carolina Reaper, and Naga Viper peppers. They are indoors because it is getting cooler here in Alberta, Canada. How long will it take for them to dry and be ready to crush into flakes?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Fred, drying peppers in the air can take several days or even longer. Make the conditions are VERY dry for them to dry, otherwise they can rot pretty easily. A dehydrator works best, or in an oven with airflow at low temperatures. Let me know how they dry out for you.
D Ruid says
I have dried peppers before but had a problem of storing the product only to get a moth or bug hatch in the batch. Any suggestions in what to do before drying to reduce this problem? Thanks for any help
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
I would make sure the peppers are cleaned before drying. If you're drying them in the open air, they should be checked daily for such infestations, when they are most vulnerable. I don't believe you'll have this issue with a dehydrator, which is my preferred method. Store them in airtight containers to prevent any other issues.
Dave Morgan says
just wanted to thank everyone on here for their questions and answers, very helpful.
Owen says
Hi Mike,
Slight variation on the "left them on the counter too long" question - I have a few dozen chillies that have been on the plant for too long - not certain but I think they are "Thai Dragon" or similar. I am in the northeast and I like to move plants inside before the frost, to let the rest of the peppers mature. An aphid explosion is killing the plants but the remaining peppers are bright red and look like they are drying, rather than going rancid. Should I pick and dry them? ---note to other cold weather pepper lovers: If you can winter over a plant and get it back in the ground it will produce again!
REPLY: Owen, if you cut into the peppers and see there are no signs of rot, I think they should be OK. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Steph says
I strung my Aleppo Peppers to dry, indoors because we are in Houston and it's too humid outside. They were in a sunny air-conditioned spot for about a month (indirect sun only). They got nice and crispy, but when I opened them up, the insides were all gray and moldy. I would prefer to air dry them in the future, because Drying them in the oven turns my kitchen into a pepper-spray factory. Any suggestions?
REPLY: Steph, it can be very difficult to air dry because of humidity. I feel the best method is with a dehydrator. You can set it up in the garage if you'd like and just let it go. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Kimberly Dreher says
I came across a gift from the good Lord above.... Some fresh Carolina reapers. My question is... What is the best guaranteed way of preserving seeds for next season without destroying the ability to grow plants. I don't want to ruin these seeds. I have a dehydrator but dried some Thi-bird chillies in it and planted seeds the following spring and they did not take. Please help... I don't want to destroy this wonderful gift and opportunity.
REPLY: Kimberly, I plan to write a post on this soon, but the simplest way is to extract the mature seeds, air dry them for up to a week, then store them in airtight containers in the fridge. They will last a year or longer. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Barbara grove says
Can I freeze dry the peppers?
REPLY: Barbara, yes, you can, though that is a different process. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Adrian says
What about putting smaller chili peppers (Thai Volcano) in a 200 preheated oven. Turn off the eat place pepper in oven on flat tray or fine wire rack and leave to dry.
REPLY: Adrian, it could work, as long as there is sufficient low level heat to not burn the peppers and keep some air flow (ideally) to allow the moisture to dry up. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Arianne says
How long is the shelf life of a dried pepper when made into chilly powder?
REPLY: Arianna, chili powders can last years if stored properly, though they do lose potency. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Cherie says
I have some very hot habanero chillies. My plants are producing more than I know what to do with. I have frozen some, but would like to make some flakes. I will need to remove the seeds first as it would be too hot with the seeds in but not sure I want to dry them in the oven as you have to use gloves to cut them up so I think the eyes and respiratory system might not handle that. What do you suggest - just removing the seeds and air drying?
REPLY: Cherie, use gloves when slicing open the peppers to avoid any burning hand issues. There isn't any good way to reduce the heat of the finished peppers without removing the inner membranes. You CAN dry them whole, though that won't remove the heat. I suggest getting a dehydrator. You can use that outside or in your garage. It works MUCH better than air drying. It is my preferred method. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Jnanada says
Hi! I've had some jalapeño peppers sitting in a basket for a few months as I've pondered what to do with them!!
Is it still ok to use and dry them if they have gotten a bit soft and mushy?? Was planning on hang drying anyway!
Thanks!
REPLY: Jnanada, they probably are not of the best quality anymore, so I would be hesitant to use them. If they are COMPLETELY dried, you might grind them into flakes or powder, as long as there is no mold growth or contamination. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Jen says
So I picked our jalepenos (green) and left them on our counter with the intention of using them shortly. Fast forward about two months and they're still there. They are now red and shriveled/dried. Are they still usable for something?
REPLY: Jen, they probably are not of the best quality anymore, so I would be hesitant to use them. If they are COMPLETELY dried, you might grind them into flakes or powder, as long as there is no mold growth or contamination. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.