Dried pepper storage

[Darienne]

Googled 'dried pepper storage' and got lots of conflicting advice: freeze, refrigerate, air-tight containers, paper bags, etc...

A friend brought me an embarrassment of riches last weekend and I can't possibly use the dried peppers in under a year. In fact, I'll probably give some of them away.

What to do, please?

[Doodad]

I store them in a glass container by type and use them fairly regularly.

You could make mole and freeze that.

[Darienne]

Glass containers...and thus airtight...I can do.

Mole for 2,000 will not work.

[Chris Amirault]

I very often freeze my chiles that I'll have for a long time. I should add that I usually use them in sauces or ground to powder, so if there are significant textural changes from the freezing I wouldn't know....

[Blether]

Chillis that are already dried will keep pretty much indefinitely. Mine live in a sealed plastic bag in the dark of the spice cupboard - I'll use them whole from time to time (e.g. for peperoncino or amatriciana) and I grind a few at a time so as to have fresh cayenne pepper to hand. I think the ones I have are from about four years ago, when I bought a bag with something like half a kilo in it.

Like Chris, I freeze surplus fresh chillis. They lose heat gradually after six months (at one year old they're maybe half-strength), but I still like them (finely sliced or knife-minced, mostly) in plenty of dishes in preference to dried (especially in Indian dishes). You can't really use the dried other than whole or ground, because cut in pieces they don't soften up readily. And I like it when I can leave little bursts of heat throughout the food, rather than an even level overall.

Edited September 1, 2010 by Blether (log)

[NancyH]

We freeze ours. They keep beautifully in Ziplock bags with no textural or other changes, and it really extends their shelf life.

[Chris Amirault]

Like Chris, I freeze surplus fresh chillis.

Just to clarify, I don't freeze fresh chiles, but I certainly have seen smart cooks who do. They report what Blether reports. Following the OP I was talking about dried chiles.

I had a thought on this matter as well. If you have the ability to do so, Darienne, you might consider making up a few batches of chile powder that suit your needs and then vacuum packing them in smallish amounts, whatever suits your spice cabinet. Crushed chiles take up a lot less space than whole chiles and I don't notice a massive loss of flavor when I do this. In addition, if you're gonna toast chiles, you might as well toast a boatload....

[scubadoo97]

We freeze ours. They keep beautifully in Ziplock bags with no textural or other changes, and it really extends their shelf life.

I freeze mine too. I have seen pantry moths rooting around in some bags that were still in the store. Got to keep those critters at bay.

[sparrowgrass]

Grain beetles and moths will colonize dried peppers and chili powder. Put them in the freezer for at least 48 hours, and then store in airtight glass or heavy plastic containers. Not plastic bags--those bugs will eat right thru plastic. Chili powder that moves is not one of my favorite things.

[Jaymes]

We freeze ours. They keep beautifully in Ziplock bags with no textural or other changes, and it really extends their shelf life.

I freeze mine too. I have seen pantry moths rooting around in some bags that were still in the store. Got to keep those critters at bay.

That's what I was going to ask. I know that dried chiles will keep indefinitely, but what about those little critters? Won't they infest chiles?

ETA: Ah, Sparrow, now I see your answer. Thanks.

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Edited September 1, 2010 by Jaymes (log)

[Blether]

Freezing dried chillis. Whodda thunk it ?

I had a bag of cumin go down to critters once, but they didn't spread. I have unground mace, dried chillis, cumin, coriander, fennel, fenugreek seed... a bunch of stuff just stashed in bags (no, I don't keep anything else near as long as the chillis - just buy in sizes that take a couple of turns filling a jar before they're empty).

Do critters just not to get to the 5th floor, in the inner city ? As I've written before on eG, I've never had a problem with rice either, since I got the clove-of-garlic-in-the-bag tip.

[heidih]

I am in the glass jar camp as well. I do try to also keep them, like most spices, in a cool dark place.

[Darienne]

Just able to read all the replies. Thanks guys.

Of course, the conflicting advice remains, but I am so much more knowledgeable now.

[Peter the eater]

My greenhouse is busting with peppers. My plan is to eat as many fresh as possible, freeze lots of small hot ones, dry a few, and make a ton of hot sauce with the rest. Last year I grew too many mild peppers and wound up pickling them without eventually eating them.

So to answer your question about storing dried peppers, I think I've got enough to tie and hang for a rista. Never made one before, but it would look great in my kitchen. I've also tried the Ronco Dehydrator on peppers with no good results.

[Pierogi]

Only have experience with purchased dried peppers, no attempt at drying fresh ones.

That said...

The large ones (anchos, pasillas, New Mexicos, etc.) I store in each in a separate ziplock freezer bag in the freezer. Push out as much air as I can before sealing, but I don't get overly OCD about it. Haven't noticed much degradation in up to a year of storage, but don't know if my palate is the most nuanced.

The small ones (birds, Thai, etc.) I keep in a small glass jar with a *GOOD* seal in the pantry. Small jars from pasta sauce, with a "plastic-y" ring around the lid are what I use, but certainly clean Mason jars are an option. Again, up to a year, they're still plenty potent to me. No evidence of critters yet.

[sparrowgrass]

Blether, if you have never had critters in your kitchen, you are lucky!! The bug eggs come in with the food--moths and beetles in the great outdoors, (where food comes from ), lay their eggs in the chilis or grains or whatever.

I routinely put all spices and grain products in the freezer for a couple days--that kills the eggs so they don't hatch.

Preventing an infestation is way easier than getting rid of one.

[Blether]

Blether, if you have never had critters in your kitchen, you are lucky!! ...

Ha ha ! Yes... I did have the rice weevils once - well, my rice did - and the cumin critters the once that I mentioned. There's plenty of bug potential in this part of the world, but where I come from, the ambient temperature kills the eggs and we used to use the deep freeze to keep lunch warm.