Learn how to dehydrate whole hot peppers in a dehydrator quickly and easily so you can use them to cook in various recipes all year long!
One of the best things a gardener can do with an abundance of peppers is pull out their dehydrator. Having dried hot peppers on hand is a blessing if you like to cook and create in the kitchen.
There are so many ways to use an abundance of peppers from the garden – from dehydrating them to make seasonings, to fermenting them for hot sauce. You can even slice up your peppers in halves and use to make omelets for the family.
Drying whole peppers in a food dehydrator is one of the fastest and easiest ways to preserve them. Once dried, you can use them to add heat and flavor to your dishes. Even better, unlike many other veggies, you do not have to blanch peppers before dehydrating them – which makes them much less time-consuming to prepare.
One of my favorite Insta-friends (Woodbridge Dairy in Michigan) was generous enough to send me her gigantic pepper bounty in exchange for shipping. I roasted a good amount, but saved a box of them to dehydrate whole. I love using dehydrated whole peppers to cook mole throughout the year.
Not only did I get some really beautiful peppers, Karin was sweet enough to pack the box with hay that I could use for my garden as well. It was a win-win.
How to Dehydrate Whole Hot Peppers
To dehydrate your whole peppers, you’ll want to wash them off thoroughly and shake off the excess moisture. Towel dry or air dry your peppers as much as possible before placing in your dehydrator.
Once they are dry, spread the peppers on a single layer on your dehydrator trays, making sure they are not touching each other. Set the dehydrator to 130-140 degrees F and dehydrate for 12 hours. The size of your peppers will determine the amount of time it will take to dehydrate.
If the peppers are not yet fully dry, allow an additional 3-4 hours for the peppers until they are done. If the pepper cracks, it’s dry. If it squeezes without cracking, continue to dehydrate them until they are completely dry.
Remove the peppers when they all crack after squeezing. Never use their color as an indicator of dryness – always squeeze them to determine if they are sufficiently dry.
Once the peppers cool completely, place them in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dry location. If stored properly, they will keep for up to one year.
Hey I have a silly question. I “accidentally” cut the stems and seeded them (long story). Is it ok to dry them like that? My final product doesn’t need the stems or seeds intact.
yes! You can dry them like that too. I’ve done it that way as well. Sometimes I’ll grind them when they’re done and mix with equal parts salt to make a seasoned salt.
I have done the string and hanging for two years now. Love it. The peppers missing a stem I used the desiccator which recommended cutting into 1/4 inch slices and remove seeds. 12 hours at 130-140. Worked out pretty good. Be careful with the frying. 1/4 inch goes very fast. Still experimenting. But. I think heating the oil to hot (not very hot). Place the strips in and be ready to remove. So far crispy, hot and way more flavor than hanging to dry.
Next I am going to try the desiccator on whole peppers. 130-140 12 hours min. I’ve read to keep going until they crunch. Happy Trails.
Any chance the dehydrated pepper seeds will germinate
They may.. I haven’t tried. You can fold a paper towel in half, and half again, dampen it quite a bit, and tuck the dehydrated seeds in there. Then place that in a bag and keep in a warm place and if they can germinate they will in 7-10 days.
How likely are the drying peppers to cause respiratory problems in pet birds? The aroma is pretty thick in the kitchen!
Couldn’t tell you. I don’t have pet birds (or any pets for that matter!)
Rachel, you could always move the dehydrator to the back patio if it’s too fragrant for the kitchen/house.
Can I leave the Stems on peppers when dehydrating them whole?
Sure can.