Chili are the smallest members of the paprika and hot pepper family. The hot pods give dishes a fiery note and are important components of seasoning mixtures such as the well-known Tabasco sauce. You can harvest the spice in your own garden from July to September and use our suggestions to preserve it for many months.

Chili peppers can be preserved in a number of ways

Variant 1: Freeze the chili

If you always need small amounts of chili, you can preserve the prepared pods in the freezer:

  1. Halve the chillies, remove the seeds and wash.
  2. Blanch briefly in hot water.
  3. Place individually on a plate and freeze.
  4. Transfer frozen chillies to a freezer bag and seal tightly.

Variant 2: Dry the chillies

Peppers drying on long lines should be familiar to many from Mexican films. You can also preserve your own harvest in this way:

  1. Wash and dry the chillies.
  2. Thread a sturdy thread through the stalk of the pod.
  3. Hang in an airy place. Be careful not to touch the chillies.

If you have a dehydrator, you can preserve the hot spice in it. The required drying time at 70 degrees Celsius depends on the thickness of the chilies. It is around ten hours for Habaneros and twelve for fleshy pods such as Jalapeño or Rocoto.

Drying in the oven

  1. First wash the chillies, cut them in half and remove the seeds.
  2. Line a baking sheet covered with an air-permeable cloth.
  3. Set the temperature to 60 degrees and dry the chillies for 8 to 10 hours.
  4. Hold the oven door open with a wooden spoon so that the moisture can escape.

You can coarsely grind the dried pods in the food processor into chilli flakes or finely grind them into chilli powder.

Variant 3: Put the chillies in oil

ingredients

  • chili peppers
  • 1 liter of water
  • 200 ml vinegar
  • 20 grams of salt
  • 10 grams of sugar
  • high-quality oil, for example olive oil from the first pressing

preparation

  1. Wash the chillies, cut in half and remove the seeds.
  2. Bring 1 liter of water to a boil. Add vinegar, salt and sugar.
  3. Gently simmer the chillies in the mixture for two to five minutes.
  4. Strain and dry on a kitchen towel.
  5. Pour into clean glasses so they are 90 percent full.
  6. Fill with oil and seal.
  7. The chilli oil can be stored in the refrigerator for about six months.

tips

Always wear gloves when working with chillies. If the spice juice gets into a small wound, it burns like hell. Be careful not to touch your face or eyes unintentionally.

Category:

Vegetable garden