How To: Dehydrate Jalapenos
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Learn how to dehydrate jalapenos to preserve your harvest at the height of freshness! This easy preserving method takes the guesswork of storing your jalapeno or hot pepper harvest. Use your dehydrated peppers as is or grind them into a powder.
We’ve all been there. Standing in the grocery store buying fresh, delicious jalapeno peppers. In one hand, you’ve got a package of 6 jalapenos for $4, or a whole bag with 20 for $4.97 in the other. (Don’t make fun of my grocery pricing!! I’m Canadian!)
I buy that $5 pack every.single.time. I use whatever I can and then preserve the rest. Sometimes that means freezing jalapenos, sometimes that means dehydrating jalapenos, and sometimes that means loads of guacamole in the fridge, but they never go to waste!
This how to make dried jalapenos guide is dedicated to the better deal.
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tips + tricks
No. 1 –> If you’re processing a lot of peppers, wear gloves! This is a lesson I learned the hard way one time while canning a mega batch of spicy salsa. I had to sleep with my hand in milk because the capsaicin burned so bad!!
No. 2 –> Keep the size of your slice or dice consistent. This will improve your drying results as all your pepper pieces will be dehydrated around the same time.
No. 3 –> If at all possible, deydrate your jalapenos outside. If it’s not possible, try to keep them in the garage near a slightly open window to vent some of the fumes!
No. 4 –> Some people recommend dehydrating jalapeño peppers in the oven. I do not. Have you ever accidentally sent jalapeno guts down your garburator with hot water? It ain’t pleasant! Don’t do this in your oven.
key ingredients
Jalapenos: Choose fresh, firm, ripe jalapenos without blemishes, holes, or mold. Any jalapenos with wrinkled or dark spots should be either discarded or have those bits cut out.
While this recipe is written for jalapenos, it will work for any hot pepper; poblano, serrano, habanero, etc.
how to dehydrate jalapenos
- Wash your peppers well in cool water. Allow them to air dry, or dry with a soft, clean kitchen towel. Excess moisture left on the peppers means more work for your food dehydrator!
- Slice off the stem of your peppers and ream the inside of the pepper with the handle end of a spoon, this will dislodge the membrane and seeds.
- Decide how you’d like them prepared:
Rings – Slice your jalapeno in 1/4 – 3/8″ rings, leaving the seeds intact if desired.
Strips – Slice your jalapeno in half, then cut into 1/4″ strips.
Diced – Slice the jalapenos into strips, then dice to desired size.
Halves – Slice the jalapenos in halves.
Whole – no further prep required.
(Note –> for this recipe I used my KitchenAid food processor attachment to do all the grunt work!) - Place the prepared jalapenos onto the racks of your dehydrator then dehydrate at 125f until desired doneness. The doneness depends on your intended use. This can range from 6-12 hours depending on the size of your peppers and the desired doneness.
Leathery – Dehydrating the jalapenos until the leathery stage is ideal for peppers you want to rehydrate or use in cooked recipes.
Brittle – Continuing past the leathery stage and drying the peppers until they are brittle is ideal if you plan on turning the dried peppers into a powder. - Allow the peppers to cool to room temperature before storing in an airtight container.
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how to rehydrate dried peppers
Remove desired jalapenos from the container and soak in hot water for 5-10 minutes until they reabsorb enough water. You’ll know they are rehydrated when they start to look like the pieces you had before you dehydrated.
While these rehydrated peppers look close to fresh, they won’t be exactly the same. I recommend using them in recipes that don’t require the crunch of fresh jalapenos.
Try these recipes:
- fresh or smoked salsa – add the rehydrated peppers after smoking
- loaded guacamole
- pepper jack mac
- leftover smoked brisket chili or instant pot chili
how to use dehydrated jalapenos:
These jalapenos can be used similarly to fresh jalapenos. The texture won’t be quite the same, but the flavor and heat are there. I recommend using them in a cooked dish or a recipe that doesn’t rely on the crunch of fresh pepper.
Use your dehydrated peppers:
- Dry them till brittle and blend them in a spice grinder, food processor, or high-powered blender to make a killer jalapeno powder, like my sriracha powder!
- Blend them with salt in a food processor or blender to make ass kickin jalapeno salt!
batch and storage information
Batch: There is no limit to how many peppers you can dehydrate using this method, aside from your available dehydrator space!
Storage: Keep your dehydrated jalapenos in for up to a year in an airtight container. I like to use small mason jars. The FoodSaver jar attachment (I’ve only been able to find it on Canadian Amazon) is great for sucking the air of jars for long term storage. Dehydrated jalapenos can also be vacuum sealed and stored in the freezer.
recommended equipment
KitchenAid food processor: Dicing a large batch of anything sucks, so I bought myself a KitchenAid Food Processor attachment with dicing plate! It is so awesome! I diced 10 jalapenos in perfect dice in under a minute. Clean up is a breeze too!
Dehydrator: I have and love(!) a 9 RACK EXCALIBUR DEHYDRATOR. We use it to DEHYDRATE CITRUS WHEELS, GARLIC, strawberries, pears and even, DEHYDRATE MARSHMALLOWS, and much more. It’s got a 24-hour timer and very precise temperature controls so it’s great for dehydrating various foods.
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📖 Printable Recipe
How To: Dehydrate Jalapenos
Ingredients
- 10 fresh jalapeno peppers
Instructions
- Wash 10 fresh jalapeno peppers well in cool water. Allow them to air dry, or dry with a soft, clean kitchen towel.
- Slice off the stem of your peppers and ream the inside of the pepper with the handle end of a spoon, this will dislodge the membrane and seeds.
- Decide how you’d like them prepared:
Rings – Slice your jalapeno in 1/4 – 3/8" rings, leaving the seeds intact if desired.
Strips – Slice your jalapeno in half, then cut into 1/4" strips.
Diced – Slice the jalapenos into strips, then dice to desired size.
Halves – Slice the jalapenos in halves.
Whole – no further prep required. - Place the prepared jalapenos onto the racks of your dehydrator then dehydrate at 125f until desired doneness. The doneness depends on your intended use. This can range from 6-12 hours depending on the size of your peppers and the desired doneness.Leathery – Dehydrating the jalapenos until the leathery stage is ideal for peppers you want to rehydrate or use in cooked recipes.Brittle –Continuing past the leathery stage and drying the peppers until they are brittle is ideal if you plan on turning the dried peppers into a powder.
- Allow the peppers to cool to room temperature before storing in an airtight container.
Notes
how to rehydrate dried peppers
Remove desired jalapenos from the container and soak in hot water for 5-10 minutes until they reabsorb enough water. You’ll know they are rehydrated when they start to look like the pieces you had before you dehydrated.storage information
Keep your dehydrated jalapenos in for up to a year in an airtight container. I like to use small mason jars. Dehydrated jalapenos can also be vacuum sealed and stored in the freezer.Recommended Equipment + Ingredients
Nutrition
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Hi, I was excited to see this recipe. I sat on my couch and wondered if I could dehydrate them. I checked Google and tah dah! I have just diced up leftover garden peppers. A medley of Habanero, jalapeño and cayenne. I hope to put them in small mason jars and give to my kids for Christmas. I assume bringing “back to life” in hot water is not necessary, if I’m going to cook them in dish or sauté up in oil. Correct?
Oh that is such a great gift idea! You are correct, if you’re going to be cooking them in something with liquid, you won’t need to rehydrate! I’m not 100% sure how they’ll absorb oil, I might try to rehydrate them a bit with some hot water first?
I’m a real novice when it comes to jalapeños. Nonetheless, I’m growing them in a container on my balcony, so I thought I’d better learn how to dehydrate them for when the “bounty” comes. Following your tips, I’m dehydrating little strips of a leftover pepper from the supermarket, using my air fryer toaster oven, which has a “dehydrate” setting. I use gloves even when I’m just cutting up 1 pepper, because I wear contact lenses. Learned the hard way. Thank you so much for the great tips!
Oh man, the capsaicin is something else, hey? I was making habanero peach jelly the other day and popped some peach into my mouth. That was the spiciest peach I’ve ever eaten even though I washed my hands!! LOL
Glad to hear you’re enjoying the process!