Stock your pantry and preserve the harvest by learning to dehydrate peppers for chili flakes, seasonings, sauces, and more.
Hot peppers are one of the most prolific plants you can grow. They may take a little while to get started, but once those peppers get rolling, there’s no stopping them!
Dehydrating peppers—both hot and sweet—is the simplest and most space-saving way to preserve them.
For me, freezer and refrigerator space is premium, so as much as I love having frozen peppers on hand to cook with in the winter, I can’t freeze all my peppers or I wouldn’t have space for anything else!
Dried peppers also make the best homemade chili flakes!
Whether you’re growing them yourself or buying a bushel at the farmer’s market, you’ll learn how to dry peppers step-by-step and get ideas for using dried peppers in the kitchen.
Why Dehydrate Peppers
If you have a lot of peppers to preserve, dehydrating them should be at the top of your list.
First, any pepper can be dehydrated: sweet or hot. The process is the same for both.
Dried peppers last for ages on the shelf. As long as they stay dry and out of sunlight, you can keep them in the pantry for years.
Dehydrated peppers also have intensified flavor that works well for chili flakes, seasoning, making hot sauce or salsa, or for rehydrating into soups.
The process of drying peppers is simple and effective, as I’ll show you next.
And if you’ve still got more peppers lying around after dehydrating a bunch, try one of the other pepper preservation methods that I outline in this post.
Preparing Peppers for Dehydrating
The first step to dehydrating peppers is to start with freshly harvested peppers. Wash and dry them thoroughly.
Remove stems, seeds, and membranes of large, thick-walled peppers and hot peppers if you want them to have less heat.
Discard any parts of the pepper that are blemished.
Slice the peppers into uniform strips for even drying. Small peppers can be left whole or sliced in half.
When working with hot peppers, wear gloves and cut them in a well-ventilated area, preferably outside. The capsaicin in peppers stays on your hands and will burn if you touch your eyes. Capsaicin can irritate your lungs too if you breathe in too much.
Be safe!
2 Methods for Dehydrating Peppers
There are two main ways to dehydrate peppers: using a dehydrator and using an oven.
Some people do choose to dry peppers by stringing them up (called “ristras”) and allowing them to air dry in a warm, well-ventilated area. While I think these look beautiful, in my experience, air-drying peppers really only works for thin-walled peppers (think cayenne, habanero, etc.) and in warm, dry climates like the desert.
Dehydrating peppers in a dehydrator or oven is simply more reliable and takes less time overall.
So let’s get into it!
Using a Dehydrator
Using a dehydrator is the best way to dry peppers.
Simply arrange cut peppers in a single layer on the dehydrator trays and dry at 125–135°F (52–57°C), or whatever the manufacturer recommendations are for your brand, for 12–24 hours.
Thin-walled peppers have less moisture and will require less time than thick-walled peppers like bell peppers and jalapeños.
Check on the dehydrating peppers after 12 hours.
If they are brittle and snap easily when bent in half, then the peppers are dry and ready to be stored.
If they are still rubbery or pliable, put them back in the dehydrator for another 3–5 hours and check for dryness again.
Using an Oven
Dehydrating in the oven is the second method you can use to dry peppers.
To do this, place a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet. Arrange cut peppers in a single layer on the wire rack.
Check your oven manual to see if it has a dehydrate setting, or set your oven to its lowest temperature setting. If it can’t go lower than 150°F (65°C), don’t use it or you’ll end up cooking your peppers rather than drying them.
Dry the peppers in the warm oven for 6–12 hours.
Leave the oven door ajar for air circulation if you can.
Keep a close eye on the peppers to make sure they don’t burn.
After 6 hours, check to see if the peppers are brittle and snap easily when bent in half.
If so, then they are dry and can be removed from the oven. If not, then keep them in the oven for another 3 hours or until completely dry.
Storing Dried Peppers
Once you’ve dehydrated the peppers, you can store them whole or pulse them in a spice grinder or food processor to make chili flakes or pepper powder.
Processing them into pepper flakes or powder will take up the least amount of room and makes it easy to use them as a seasoning.
However, keeping them whole will preserve the flavor and freshness of the dried peppers for longer.
I usually process it all and aim to use it all within a year.
Dried peppers will keep best in airtight jars or vacuum-sealed bags stored in a cool, dark cabinet or pantry. If you have a lot of peppers, I recommend decanting a month’s supply into a smaller container and keeping the remainder tightly sealed in storage. Refill the smaller container as needed.
Lastly, don’t forget to label your jars of peppers with the variety name and the date you dried them on!
Ways to Use Dehydrated Peppers
Here are some of my favorite ways to use dehydrated peppers.
- Sprinkle hot or sweet chili flakes on pizza or pasta.
- Combine chili flakes with sugar, water, and a splash of rice vinegar to make Asian sweet chili sauce.
- Grind a mix of hot and sweet peppers into powder for chili seasoning.
- Rehydrate dried peppers in warm water to use for hot sauces or salsas.
- Fry pepper flakes with minced garlic to make your own chili garlic oil.
FAQs About Dehydrating Peppers
Yes, whole peppers can be dehydrated; however it may double or triple the time needed for them to be completely dry.
Yes, you can use the oven method!
No, peppers don’t need to be blanched before dehydrating.
Test peppers by snapping a piece in a half. It should be brittle and crisp and will possibly making an audible snap when bent. Dry peppers will not feel soft or pliable.
When kept free of moisture, whole dried peppers can last years, but flavor begins to decline after a year. Pepper flakes and powders should be used within –8 months for best flavor.
The short answer is: yes, dried hot peppers can seem hotter than fresh peppers, especially if you eat them alone vs. cooked into a dish!
Dehydrate Peppers and Make Your Own Chili Flakes
I hope this post helped you learn how to dry peppers and make your own seasonings and chili flakes.
We covered prepping peppers, using a dehydrator to dry peppers, using an oven to dehydrate, storing dried peppers, and ways to use them.