Topic: help with freezing/drying chillies please

[merlin11]

would anyone know the best weay to keep my chillies ?. the plant is fully laden and i cant use them all. i have given some away of course but i hate to think of them going bad because i cant keep up . im sure there must be a way to store them for future use. any help would be appreciated. thank you.
merlin

[SnS]

would anyone know the best weay to keep my chillies ?. the plant is fully laden and i cant use them all. i have given some away of course but i hate to think of them going bad because i cant keep up . im sure there must be a way to store them for future use. any help would be appreciated. thank you.
merlin

Hi Merlin

Pickle your chiles in cider vinegar. Make slits lengthwise down each chile and stuff into clean sterilised jar. Stand overnight in vinegar to get rid of air. Expel all air in the jar by topping up with vinegar, seal and store jars upside down. Should keep for months.

or

Slice chiles in half lengthwise, and dry in airing cupboard on wire rack. When dry, blend in liquidiser to make your own chile powder. WARNING - If blending hot chiles (habeneros etc ..) make sure you have your doors and windows open and lots of ventilation!

or

For cooking - freeze them. They will go mushy when defrosted but still maintain the original flavour and hotness.

or

Use chiles to make relish or pickles. If done correctly using sterilised equipment, will last for many months. Store jars upside down.

SnS 

[merlin11]

thank you SnS
i will  freeze some and also try to dry some. with the windows open of course .lol

merlin

[Ghoulie]

dried mine for 6 hours in fan assisted oven @ 50?C

[commis]

Hi
Did you wash them first to remove any wild yeast ect. Or straight into the oven?
Regards

[Bobby Bhuna]

For cooking - freeze them. They will go mushy when defrosted but still maintain the original flavour and hotness.

I don't find they go mushy at all! Limp perhaps, but never mushy. I always freeze mine. I use them whole in North Indian Chilli / garlic chicken and jalfrezi - seem to work almost as well as fresh.

[Secret Santa]

For cooking - freeze them. They will go mushy when defrosted but still maintain the original flavour and hotness.

I don't find they go mushy at all! Limp perhaps, but never mushy. I always freeze mine. I use them whole in North Indian Chilli / garlic chicken and jalfrezi - seem to work almost as well as fresh.

I never have that problem either but then I never let them fully defrost. It's a quick rinse under the cold tap and then straight into the curry.

[Ghoulie]

commis - yep - washed 'em 1st - then into oven - a site i looked at said 5 hours - but some of the 'fatter' ones were still needing a bit more drying - so did it for 6 hours and all ok.

tasted brilliantly when used to gee up a tikka massalla sauce ex M&S for a chicken dish

- even the missus had to concede it tasted ok

[Bobby Bhuna]

I never have that problem either but then I never let them fully defrost. It's a quick rinse under the cold tap and then straight into the curry.

Same! I chop the base off whilst frozen then twirl them in my fingers under a cold tap to remove the seeds.

[JivyJ]

I finely chop my chillies and put them into a small plastic container and freeze them, so that  when i am making a dish all you need to do is use a knife and scrape out the amount you need for the dish and put the container back in the freezer.