Drying Pepperoni: There are These Options

Drying pepperoni is definitely worth it. With good care, the plants bear fruit so abundantly that they cannot all be processed fresh. Well dried, the supply of hot pods can be kept for a long time and can be used in the kitchen.

Pepperoni is so easy to dry

Hot peppers, like chillies, belong to the paprika family. In contrast to mild sweet peppers, peppers contain a higher amount of capsaicin. This substance is responsible for sharpness. So it’s no wonder that peppers and chillies are very popular as condiments in the kitchen. Crop surpluses can be excellently preserved by drying.

• Only use fully ripe and undamaged fruit for drying. In this way, you avoid the formation of mould, which would otherwise make your harvest unusable. In principle, you can dry all peppers and chillies. But the thinner the fruit body, the better the pods dry.
• A very simple method of drying pepperoni is to thread the fruit with a needle thread. Do not pierce the fruiting body, but the stalk. You can then hang up the pepperoni chain to dry in a warm, dry and airy place.
• Wear disposable gloves when handling the fruit to keep the capsaicin from sticking to your hands. Because especially if you accidentally rub it in your eyes, there is a real risk of injury.
• The fruit should not be exposed to direct sunlight. Also, make sure that the individual pods do not touch each other if possible. Depending on the variety, air drying takes about 3 to 4 weeks.

Alternatives to air drying

Not everyone has a suitable place to let pepperoni air dry in a classic way. But there are other ways to preserve spicy fruits.

• If you have a dehydrator, you can use that too. Larger pods are best quartered or divided, smaller fruits can also be dried whole. Make sure to wear disposable gloves when processing.
• Place the fruit in the dehydrator so that the pods are not touching each other. At 60 to 70 degrees Celsius, the peppers need around 10 hours to dry, depending on their size. If you turn the fruit in between, you can speed up the process a bit.
• Drying in the oven works in a similar way to the dehydrator. Depending on the size, the fruits can be cut or dried whole. Then place the pods on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Here, too, it is an advantage if the individual fruits do not touch.
• Set the oven to 50 to 65 degrees Celsius. With the oven door slightly open, the moisture can escape optimally. The circulating air function also makes drying in the oven easier. After about 8 to 12 hours, the peppers are then dry.
• You can recognize well-dried pods by the fact that they can easily be crumbled between them. The peppers and chillies preserved in this way can be perfectly processed into flakes or powder. Stored airtight, cool and dark, the pods can be kept for years.