When properly stored, a dried chilli pepper keeps its heat and aroma for several months, even several years. Poorly stored, in humidity or full light, it quickly loses quality or develops mould. Here is how to keep it, rehydrate it and use it in cooking.
How to store a dried chilli pepper?
Once completely dry, keep the whole chilli pepper in an airtight jar or bag, away from light and humidity, in a cupboard at a temperature below 20°C. Under these conditions, it keeps its heat and aroma for one to two years. Ground into powder, its contact surface with the air is greater: allow six to twelve months instead before the aroma fades.
Watch for signs of spoilage: a soft or sticky texture signals a return of moisture, a rancid or musty smell means the pepper's oils have degraded, and any whitish or fuzzy trace is a sign of mould, even if it is visible on only a few peppers in the batch. In these three cases, discard the pepper.
How to rehydrate a dried chilli pepper?
Two methods restore suppleness to a dried chilli pepper before cooking it. The quick method involves covering it with hot water, between 60°C and 80°C, for twenty to thirty minutes: avoid boiling water, which tends to cook the pepper and gives it a hint of bitterness. The slower method, which better preserves the aroma, involves soaking it in cold or lukewarm water overnight, around twelve hours.
Once rehydrated, the pepper regains its suppleness and some of its original colour. Keep the soaking water: infused with the pepper's flavour, it can be added to a sauce, a marinade or a stock.
How to use a dried chilli pepper in cooking?
Whole and dry, a pepper infuses a stock, a marinade or a simmered dish directly, with no prior rehydration: it is removed at the end of cooking to stop the heat there, a technique useful for a suya or a spicy stock. Rehydrated, it is crushed into a paste for a marinade. Ground into powder, like SAMIA ground hot chilli, it is stirred in directly during cooking, in a small amount that is adjusted to taste.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a whole dried chilli pepper keep?
One to two years in an airtight container, away from light and humidity, at a temperature below 20°C. Once ground, allow six to twelve months instead.
Should a dried chilli pepper be rehydrated before cooking it?
It depends on the use. Whole, it can infuse a simmered dish or a stock directly with no prior rehydration. For a paste or a sauce, however, twenty to thirty minutes in hot water, or a whole night in cold water, makes crushing easier.
Where can I find dried chilli peppers in France?
NKOSI sells CHALEUR CRÉOLE whole dried hot bird's eye chilli, SAMIA ground hot chilli and SAMIA ground smoked sweet chilli, and ships them from the Paris area within 24 to 72 working hours, to mainland France (2 to 3 working days) and to ten European countries. The minimum order is 39 €: in France, delivery to a pickup point is then free, and home delivery is free from 69 €.
To find out more
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