The cultivation of spicy habaneros is also popular in this country. In the warm time of the year, the chilli bush bears plenty. The harvest quantity can easily exceed the current demand. What to do with the excess pods? Is drying a viable way to preserve them for the winter?

Dried chillies have a very long shelf life

Thick-fleshed chillies

Habanero varieties have thicker flesh than many other chili varieties. This fact has a great influence on the drying of the pods. Because the thicker the flesh of a chili, the longer the process takes.

In our latitudes, the weather in summer is not consistently dry and hot, as is the case in their native country of Mexico. For this reason, drying in the fresh air is only possible in exceptional cases. Either the Habaneros don't dry properly and don't keep well, or they even start to get mouldy.

Possible drying methods

The good news is: it is not impossible to dry this chilli variety here too. However, mechanical assistance must be used for this so that the process can be accelerated in terms of time through optimized drying conditions. These two household appliances are useful:

  • a dehydrator
  • an oven

Prepare chillies

  • harvest just before drying
  • Sort out chillies with damaged areas
  • Wash the pods thoroughly
  • Remove stems and seeds
  • Halve the pods or cut into finer strips

Drying in the dehydrator

Food dehydrators are becoming more and more popular because they can be used to gently dry vegetables, fruit and herbs. The purchase is not worthwhile just for drying Habaneros. But if you are already in possession of such a device, you can use it to preserve the habaneros within a day.

The chillies can be dried in several layers in the dehydrator. Warm air flows around them and they gradually lose their moisture. Follow the manufacturer's instructions. However, keep an eye on the drying process.

Drying in the oven

Not every household has a dehydrator, but there is an oven. You can also use it to dry habaneros after harvesting. This is how it's done:

  1. Spread the prepared habaneros out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  2. Slide the tray onto the middle rack of the oven.
  3. Set the temperature to 75 degrees Celsius.
  4. Leave the chillies in there for about 6 hours or until the drying process is complete.

tips

Open the oven door a little from time to time so that moisture can escape.

storage

The dried habaneros must be stored properly until they are used. But first, the pods should cool down completely. It is recommended to put them in an airtight container afterwards. They can be stored in it for up to six months or longer.

The garden journal freshness ABC

How can fruit and vegetables be stored correctly so that they stay fresh for as long as possible?

The garden journal freshness ABC as a poster:

  • as a free PDF file to print out yourself

Category:

Vegetable garden