Drying Chillies

miltonskeen

sassyblue wrote: »

Does the oil really get hot from the chillis? I thought that was just for decoration :rotfl:

I agree. I've done this with very very hot chillis and didnt get a hint of warmth in the oil. Things that dissolve in water tend not to do it in oil..,,:)

dan-_3

Chillis will give some flavour to the oil, but it takes time to enfuse. Be careful with this though, because the anaerobic environment in the oil can cause nasty things to happen if the chillis are not sterilised first. If the oil starts to look cloudy, thow it out.

Last year, as well as frezing some and drying some, we made a batch of painfully strong harissa paste with chillis, garlic and oil. You can bulk it out with sweet peppers or tomatoes if you like. Ours kept OK for about four months but then went mouldy.

If you want to dry the chillis, you can just use any old needle and thread to string them up. Be aware that they will lose their colour if you hang them out in the sun straight away. Hang them up somewhere dark first if you want them to remain decorative for a long time.