Whether you grow your own hot peppers or purchase them from the produce section, there are many different ways to prepare and preserve them. One of the easiest and fastest ways to do this for future use is to dry the hot peppers with a string. In only a few minutes, you can quickly string up your peppers and then leave them to dry in a sunny window.
Pick the hot peppers from your garden (or purchase).
Place the hot peppers into a colander and wash them in cool water. Spread them on the cooling rack to dry. Do not proceed until the peppers are completely dry.
Thread a needle with a 20-inch-long length of dental floss. Make sure to tie a knot in the end.
Insert the needle through a hot pepper (near the stem). Pass the hot pepper all the way along the dental floss until it stops at the knot at the end of the floss.
Tie a knot in the dental floss approximately ½-inch above the hot pepper. This will space the peppers along the dental floss and ensure that air circulates adequately around each pepper.
Repeat steps 4 and 5 to string all of the hot peppers onto the dental floss.
Remove the needle from the dental floss and tie a loop on the end of the dental floss.
Hang the hot peppers in a sunny window. If possible, simply hang the loop over an existing portion of the window latch. If nothing like this exists on your window, it may be necessary to install a small hook in the woodwork of the window to hang the hot peppers.
Leave the hot peppers drying in the sunny window until they are leathery and shriveled. This may take one to two weeks.
Remove the peppers from the string after they are dry. Store the peppers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to six months.
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Writer Bio
Kathryn Hatter is a veteran home-school educator, as well as an accomplished gardener, quilter, crocheter, cook, decorator and digital graphics creator. As a regular contributor to Natural News, many of Hatter's Internet publications focus on natural health and parenting. Hatter has also had publication on home improvement websites such as Redbeacon.