How to Dry Jalapenos

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Jalapenos are spicy peppers that do well in a variety of savory dishes. They also grow well in home gardens. If you start harvesting jalapenos, however, you may find that you have more peppers than you want to eat fresh. If this is the case, dry them out and use them at your leisure. Add dried jalapenos to your dishes that call for a bit of spiciness.

Air Drying

Rinse all of the garden dirt from the outside of the pepper.

Thread a clean yarn needle with a length of butcher's twine.

String each jalapeno onto the butcher's twine by pushing the needle securely through the stems.

Tie the loose ends of the butcher's twine together, until you have a garland of jalapenos.

Hang the jalapeno garland in full sun with good ventilation. Good ventilation prevents the jalapeno peppers from becoming moldy. Allow two to three weeks for the peppers to dry out. Listen for the sound of the seeds rattling inside to know when they are ready.

Oven Drying

Preheat an oven to 125 degrees Fahrenheit.

Rinse off the peppers, removing any garden dirt.

Cut the peppers in half using a sharp knife.

Lay the peppers on a baking sheet, spreading them out so that the halves do not touch one another.

Bake the jalapenos slowly for 2 to 3 hours, turning the halves every half hour. Remove the peppers from the oven. Grind the pieces or store the halves for later use.