Dry chillies properly: 3 methods for the perfect flavour
Have you got a bumper chilli crop and want to preserve the pods for later? Drying chillies allows you to keep the hot fruit for a long time while preserving their intense flavour. We’ll show you how to dry chillies properly – whether you use air drying, oven drying or a dehydrator.
Good reasons to dry chillies
If you’re going to dry chillies, it’s best to choose thin-skinned varieties, such as cayenne or Thai chillies.
- Dried chillies have the great advantage that you can keep them for longer. Dried chillies will keep for months or even years.
You need less space to store them.
Dried chillies have an even more intense flavour than fresh chillies. You can either leave the dried chillies whole or grind them into chilli flakes or chilli powder.
1. Air drying chillies – the natural way
The gentlest method is to air dry chillies. Simply hang the ripe chillies upside down in a warm, dry place. Opinions vary as to whether the pods should be dried in the sun or in a shaded area. It’s best to find out which works best for you. The important thing is that the place is dry. The important thing is that it is dry and well ventilated.
There are two ways of air-drying:
Hanging the plant upside down
The easiest way is to dig up the whole plant, shake the soil out of the root ball and hang it upside down. Before you do this, remove any leaves and rotten chillies. Shake the plant every few days to remove any leaves that have fallen.
Hanging pods on a string
- You can also hang individual pods from a string. To do this, cut the pods so that there is about 3cm of stem left on the pod.
- Find some strong thread and tie a knot or bow at the end to prevent the chillies from slipping through.
- Thread the needle through the cap of a chilli and push the pod up to the knot.
- Repeat the process until you have threaded all the chillies you want to dry.
- Arrange the chillies so that each one faces a different direction. This will allow air to circulate between each pod.
- Turn the chillies every day to make sure they all get air and to remove any rotten fruit.
- When the chillies rustle when you touch them, they are dry. You can either remove them, chop them up and put them in jars. Or you can leave them hanging by the strings.
2. Drying chillies in the oven
If you don’t have a suitable place to air-dry them, or if you need them quickly, you can dry chillies in the oven. Spread the chillies out on a baking tray so they do not touch and dry in the oven at 100 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit in a circulating oven. This can take from three to six hours, depending on the size of the chillies.
It is often recommended to place a wooden spoon in the oven door to allow the moisture to escape more easily. However, this uses a lot of energy because the chillies have to stay in the oven for longer.
3. Drying chillies in a food dehydrator
A food dehydrator is a good choice if you want to dry a lot of chillies at once. The dehydrator provides a uniform temperature and air circulation, which allows the chillies to dry evenly. All you need to do is place the chillies on the shelves and set the dehydrator to the correct temperature (usually 120-160 degrees Fahrenheit). It usually takes 6 to 12 hours for the chillies to dry completely.
Tips for storing dried chillies
- You can store dried chillies whole, which is the best way to preserve their flavour.
- However, they are easier to measure out and use as a seasoning if they are in flakes or powder form. Home-made chilli salt is also delicious.
- You can also marinate dried chillies in oil to make a flavoured chilli oil.
- You can soak whole dried chillies in water before cooking. You can then use them in a hot sauce, for example.