Things You'll Need
Whole hot peppers
Colander
Metal cooling rack
Food dehydrator
Airtight container
Many cooks and gardeners enjoy having dried hot peppers on hand for adding to their kitchen creations. Drying whole hot peppers in a food dehydrator may be the easiest and fastest way to preserve hot peppers. Once you have your peppers dried, a useful supply of hot peppers is ready at any time to add heat and flavor to savory dishes.
Step 1
Place the whole hot peppers into the colander. Wash the peppers well under cool water and shake off as much excess water as possible from the peppers.
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Step 2
Spread the peppers in a single layer onto the metal cooling rack and leave to dry. Wait until the peppers are completely dry before placing them in the food dehydrator.
Step 3
Transfer the whole peppers from the cooling rack to the trays of the food dehydrator. Arrange peppers in a single layer on the racks, making sure they do not touch one other.
Step 4
Assemble the racks in the food dehydrator. Set the dehydrator to between 120 and 135 degrees F. and turn the dehydrator on.
Step 5
Check the peppers after approximately two hours to assess the drying. Rotate the trays within the dehydrator if the peppers seem to be drying unevenly. Close the dehydrator and allow it to continue to run.
Step 6
Wait for approximately one more hour and then check the peppers again. Remove a pepper and squeeze it between your fingers. If the pepper cracks, it is sufficiently dry. If it squeezes without cracking, continue drying the peppers for another hour.
Step 7
Remove the peppers when they all crack after squeezing. Color is not an indication of dryness--use the squeeze test to determine if the peppers are sufficiently dry.
Step 8
Allow the peppers to cool completely and then place them into the airtight container. Seal the container and store the peppers in a cool, dry location. Dried hot peppers will keep for up to one year.
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