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A white dish full of dried peppers with other pepper slices on a blue plate and a white board.
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Dehydrated Peppers Recipe (3 Ways)

Drying peppers is a simple way to preserve this delicious ingredient! Learn how to dry peppers in a food dehydrator, via air drying, or in the oven.
Prep Time15 minutes
Drying Time12 hours
Total Time12 hours 15 minutes
Course: How To
Cuisine: American
Keyword: dehydrating peppers, how to dehydrate peppers, how to dry peppers
Servings: 4 peppers
Author: Sarah Cook

Equipment

Ingredients

  • peppers or chilies

Instructions

  • Clean and pat peppers/chilies dry.
  • If you're drying in pieces or slices, remove the stems of the peppers/chilies and remove the seeds.
  • Cut in into pieces/slices about 1/2 inches thick
  • Arrange the peppers on your dehydrator so that there is space around each piece/slice, and they are not touching.
  • Set your dehydrator to the "fruit/vegetables" setting (or 135˚F degrees).
  • Rotate trays every few hours.
  • Peppers/chilies are ready when pieces break or snap instead of bend. If your pieces are thinner, they will feel brittle when ready. (8-12 hours depending on conditions)

Notes

  1. If possible, move your dehydrator outside to a safe covered space. The smell of drying peppers can be overwhelming to many people.
  2. Dried peppers are 3-4 times stronger than fresh.
  3. Dried peppers/chilies will rehydrate to ~80% of the original size when soaked in hot water for ~10-15 minutes.
Oven-Drying Instructions: Follow the prep/cutting instructions above and then place pepper slices on baking drying racks set on baking sheets.
Place in the oven at the lowest temperature possible (usually 140-170˚F) and prop open the door with the handle of a wooden spoon. This allows condensation to escape instead of just settling back onto the peppers. Bake for 5-8 hours.
Air Drying Instructions:
  1. To safely air dry your peppers/chilies, you’ll need 3-4 days of favorable weather. The daytime temps should reach 90˚F or above, and the humidity levels should be no higher than 55-60%.
  2. You can slice the peppers/chilies or dry them whole.
  3. Place peppers/chilies on food-safe screens - OR - use a large needle and thread to string the peppers together through the stem.
  4. Place outside until fully dried. You should cover them with a clean towel/pillowcase/muslin overnight and bring them inside at night if nighttime critters will mess with them.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bell pepper | Calories: 24kcal