This simple method for drying peppers gives you all the tools you need to dry those extra garden peppers for winter. You can preserve extra food in minutes.
July is here and the heat is making my garden explode with food! No matter how much I try to hold myself in check I always plant too much. We give some away but it’s nice to find simple ways to put some up for the winter too. Anything I preserve for winter increases the value of the time I spend in my garden in the spring and summer. Plus it is food I don’t have to buy come winter!
Jonathan is a hot pepper nut. He loves them and we put them in all sorts of different foods. It is one of those things that is well worth my time to put up. Also, it’s a very easy project.
You need whatever hot peppers you wish to dry, some clean thread and a needle.
I thread the needle and knot the two ends of thread together. This double thread is stronger and the knot is larger. Run the needle through the green top of each pepper. As the peppers dry the green stem will remain stronger which keeps your peppers on the string. You can leave the string of peppers straight or tie the ends together in a loop if desired. Hang in a dry place for winter. Make sure to clean your needle and your hands very carefully before touching anything. If you prefer, wear disposable gloves.
Remember that you want air to be able to circulate around the peppers so that they don’t mold. Also be careful not to hang them in the sun where the color can get bleached out. You can use them any time – the longer you leave them, the drier they get until they are fully dry and cured. At that point you can store them in an airtight storage container.
I find that this type of disposable glove is a great option for any project where you want to protect your hands in the kitchen.
Drying Peppers
Ingredients
- Peppers
- Thread
- Needle
- Disposable gloves if desired
Instructions
- Thread each pepper onto the needle until all peppers are strung together.
- Hang where there's good air circulation until dry.
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Nutrition Estimate
A Note on Nutrition
Nutritional info is an imperfect estimate. Please take it with a grain of salt.
Susan Mullenix says
Can you dry them in a greenhouse? Will they retain the red color dried in the greenhouse?
Mirlandra says
Hey Susan! That is definitely the first greenhouse cooking question I have EVER had and people ask me cooking questions non stop. Nicely done! I live in Boise, ID which is a high dessert environment – it is DRY here. If I were fortunate enough to have a greenhouse I would totally hang peppers there! But… If I had a greenhouse in Houston, TX were the humidity is off the charts I would be nervous about hanging them in a greenhouse. Basically keep an eye on how humid the situation is and make sure the food can dry fully without rotting. Thanks for a unique ask and enjoy your harvest! (Oh you asked about the red color. If they are in direct sun in a very clear greenhouse you could experience fading. Peppers should be dried out of direct light to retain color.)
Susan Mullenix says
One other question, do college and big jim peppers turn red?
Thank you, Susan
Mirlandra says
Oh goodness! I haven’t grown either of those. You could reference your seed packet or check online.
Amy says
This is as simple as it can get! Thank you!
Mirlandra says
Thank you! I’ve got three kids now – simple is always a win with me 😉