Stringing Chili Peppers

Winter is coming, which means doom, gloom, death, and destruction. Can you tell how I feel about the subject? Well, my peppers feel the same way. Don’t let your chili peppers freeze on the bush and turn into mush. Bring them inside to dry for use year round.

Last year I dried my peppers on the kitchen table. They stayed there. For a year. This year I took ten minutes out of the day to string the peppers. Much prettier!

Materials
Ripe chili peppers
Sewing needle
Thread
Nail
Hammer

• Pick ripe red peppers, leaving the green cap and stem in place. (Green peppers dry to an unpleasing color.)

• I don’t wash the peppers until I actually use them, but you may pre-wash them if you have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

• Thread a sewing needle and tie a knot at the end. Um…how?

• Pierce the pepper with the needle through the red flesh – not the green cap, as the cap may separate from the pepper when dried.***Push the needle straight through the pepper and the peppers will stick straight out to the sides. (Top row)Push the needle at an angle through the pepper and the peppers will point downward.(Bottom row)

• Push each pepper to the knotted end of the thread.

• When the strand of peppers is to a desired length, tie a knot at the top, leaving a loop to hang the strand of peppers on the wall.

• Hammer a nail in the wall and hang up your strand of peppers in a cool, dry place. (I added a raffia bow.)

Note to self – Don’t hold needle in mouth. Hot!