Many years ago, when I was little, my mother always bought a lot of peppers at the end of summer, he would string them with thread and hang them on the balcony or in the windows. He told me that it was for them to dry and with the passage of time, this thing that was so common to see in cities and especially towns, has been lost. But, Do you want to learn how to dry peppers?
Next we are going to give you all the keys that you should know and the ways to dry peppers easily. You could have for the whole year and they will even be much better tasting than the ones you buy in stores. And before you ask, it’s going to be easy and cheap. Go for it?
Ways to dry bell peppers
Dried peppers are one of the best ingredients to add to stews and spoon dishes since they give it a very special flavor. But sometimes we forget that we don’t have to buy them directly from stores, but you can get them from home without doing anything. In fact, here are some ways to dry bell peppers.
For us, the best are the first two, since they are also among the most natural, but in reality all of them produce good peppers.
dry bell peppers
If you have never heard the word ristra you should know that it is the same as in a row. That is, you are going to place the peppers one after another to dry. Now, to get it, you should not crowd them all, but each one should have its own space. And how do you get that? Wait, let us tell you.
The first thing is to have at hand all the peppers you want, a bit of thick thread and a needle. Now, take a thick thread and thread it through the needle. He is going to be very long, we know, but then he will be reduced. Next you have to put the needle through the stem of the pepper. Do not make it too far out because with the wind or the pulls they can easily fall off. It is better to puncture through as close to the base (without it being the base itself, of course).
When you put the first one, we recommend make one or two knots that prevent the next pepper you put in from occupying the space from the previous one. And so with everyone.
In this way, you will have the string and you will only have to hang it in a place outdoors so that, over time, they dry on their own. Now, make sure that they do not hit a wall to prevent mold or similar from forming and you have to discard some peppers.
Dry peppers in the sun
The trick to dry peppers in the sun is similar to what we have told you. It consists of hanging them in the direct sun so that, in a matter of 1-2 weeks, you have them ready to use in stews. It’s actually quite easy to do, so it won’t take much of your time.
If you can’t hang them, don’t worry. Get some sheets of newspaper and place them on top of a piece of furniture where you are going to place the peppers. Make sure to turn them over every day so that they dry evenly and the moisture will be absorbed by the newspaper. If you notice that it gets ugly very quickly, remove it and put new leaves back so you don’t have fungus or similar problems.
Another option which is also known as sun drying peppers It consists of cooking the peppers. To do this, you have to wash them, remove the seeds and open them completely to boil them in a pot with two handfuls of coarse salt and only two minutes, enough for them to soften.
Once done, they should Lay on a flat surface skin side down and leave for 24 hours to dry on their own. But, later, you must place them in the sun so that they begin to dry completely, which will happen in three days.
Dry oven baked peppers
To dry peppers in the oven you have to take into account some tricks. The first thing is to have the oven preheated to 175 degrees. Actually, you can preheat it to the maximum and later, when you add the peppers, turn it down. In this way, it is achieved that the first heater is the strongest at the beginning and then adjusts the temperature.
When you put the peppers we recommend you put it at 50-80 degrees, no more (in reality, if you put a higher temperature they will be done sooner; on some websites they speak of 170º and in 15 minutes they are). While you’re waiting for the oven to preheat, you can take the peppers and make a cut on one side to place them right on top of it.
As the temperature is going to be low, it will take about 8 hours to roast them well and get them dry. Actually, you have to wait for them to turn brown. But be careful, there is little difference from brown to burnt so you have to be very careful so that they do not go overboard or end up unusable. The good thing is that after you could remove the skin and keep them without it, although many prefer to leave it because it gives more flavor.
Dry peppers in the microwave
If in the oven it can take about 8 hours to dry the peppers, in the microwave it is much less time. Being a smaller device you cannot put all the peppers at the same time but you will have to go in parts. They should also be cut to remove moisture. And how long do you have to keep them in the microwave? In fact It will depend on your device, but in general it is said that it will take an average of 15 minutes. Of course, to do so, it is recommended that you cover them with a damp paper towel or napkin to add water and that they do not come out too dry.
There are actually several ways to dry bell peppers. The best thing you can do is think about which one is the easiest for you. The first two are perhaps the ones that best preserve the properties, plus you hardly have to do anything with them. The others can serve you when you urgently need these ingredients to prepare your meals. Do you know any other way to dry peppers? You can share it with us in the comments.
