How to Dehydrate Bell Peppers – Dehydrating Bell Peppers, A Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1. Process the Bell Peppers for Dehydration

When selecting bell peppers for dehydration, choose those that are firm, with smooth and shiny skin, preferably not too wrinkly, and without blemishes or soft spots that can’t be cut away.

We start cleaning and rinsing the bell peppers under cold water to remove any soil or shipping residue.

This is what we do; you might have your own method for processing bell peppers.  Cut off the pepper top. Then, remove the seedy core from the middle of the bell pepper.  Or, cut the peppers in half and then remove the core after cutting off the top. Choose a method that gets you there.

Next, cut the larger pepper pieces into strips, maybe 1/4 to 1/2 inch (6 to 12mm) wide or so. 

Finally, chop each of the strips into equal-sized pieces.  You end up with little squares of processed bell pepper.  This will ensure that they will all dry evenly and at the same rate.

Don’t forget to process what you can use from the pepper top.

We aim for smaller pieces so that they will hydrate faster at mealtime.  As such, we’ll settle for smaller pepper squares.

That’s it.  Easy enough.

Step 2. Preparing the Dehydrator for Dehydrating Bell Peppers

We’ll need a removable mesh screen insert for each dehydrator tray.

For today’s dehydrator project, we are using the Nesco Clean-A-Screen removable mesh screen inserts for sticky fruits and small food items that we are dehydrating today.  They have over 2500 customer reviews with an average rating of 4.7 stars out of 5, which is evidence of a great product. Check out other Nesco food dehydrator products here.

Nesco Clean-A-Screens are removable and flexible mesh screen inserts with a distinct top and a bottom side. If you had a high-powered microscope, you would see the individual strands in the mesh screens have a triangle shape. The bottom side of the screen feels smooth.  The top of the screen has a triangle point and feels rough as you rub your fingers across the mesh.

Spread out and layer the pepper pieces onto the removable mesh screen inserts.  Try to spread the pepper pieces in a single layer for faster drying times.

For best results, don’t overcrowd the dehydrator trays. Leave some space between the pepper pieces to allow for airflow and drying.

For planning purposes, we probably average 1 to 2 processed medium-sized bell peppers for each of the Nesco 13.5-inch round dehydrator trays.

Step 3. Dehydrating Bell Peppers

For dehydrating bell peppers, set the dehydrator temperature to 135 °F (57 °C). I find that 18 to 24 hours is about the right amount of time.  Peppers have a lot of water content.

Following the manufacturer’s guidelines is crucial for getting optimal results from your food dehydrator. These guidelines provide specific details about the product that is not available elsewhere, including assembly instructions and product specifications. Reading these guidelines in full can help ensure that the dehydrator operates as intended. Failure to follow these instructions can lead to improper assembly or operation, which can affect the quality of the food you are dehydrating.

Of course, drying times are dependent on your food dehydrator, the ambient temperature and humidity, and how crowded you fill your trays. Remember to use drying times as a guide.

Step 4. When is the Dehydrated Bell Peppers Done

After 18 to 24 hours, the peppers should be fully dehydrated. If not, let it go another 2 to 4 hours and check again.

Drying times will vary depending on your dehydrator. Refer to your dehydrator owner’s manual for recommended temperatures and times for dehydrating specific foods. Remember to use drying times as a guide.

Warm bell peppers still in the food dehydrator will feel somewhat pliable, and you may believe they need more drying time. Simply unplug the dehydrator and let everything cool down. Then check again to be sure. The bell peppers pieces are brittle and should be hard little nuggets when done.

Step 5. Equalizing and Conditioning of the Dehydrated Bell Peppers

We always recommend letting food items cool completely after they have finished dehydrating and before packing them into an airtight storage container with tight-fitting lids for equalizing and conditioning. Warm food may cause sweating, which could provide enough moisture for mold to grow.

It does not take long for dehydrated food items to start hydrating from ambient household humidity. Do not leave dehydrated food items exposed to the elements any longer than necessary because of the increased risk of spoilage and mold growth.

After a short cooling period, loosely pack the dehydrated peppers into a clean, dry, insect-proof, and air-tight storage container. We use medium pint-size or quart-size clear canning jars for conditioning, whatever we might have on hand at the moment. Since the canning jars are clear, it’s easy to see what’s inside.

A wide-mouth canning jar funnel is handy for the task of getting dehydrated food from the trays into the canning jars with minimal spillage. It’s not a necessity, but having one does make the job easier and faster. Need one, check them out on Amazon.

When the dehydrated pepper pieces are removed from the dehydrator, the remaining moisture may not be distributed equally among all of the pieces because of their location and position in the dehydrator. Equalizing and conditioning is a process for freshly dehydrated foods that ensures any residual moisture remaining in any piece is spread or equalized among all the other pieces in the batch. Let the dried peppers equalize and condition in the storage container for 7 to 10 days.

Every day, check the jar for moisture.  Roll the jar contents around and note any clumping or sticking.  If seen, put the contents back on the dehydrator for several more hours. Since canning jars are clear, it’s easy to see what’s inside.

If you notice any mold at all, even the smallest bit, throw it all out. What you see are the mold spores finally blooming enough to make them visible. But there are more, even tinier mold spores in the rest of your jar that make your dehydrated food inedible. Toss it out, clean your gear, and start another batch.

Step 6. Storing Dehydrated Peppers

Use an appropriately sized canning jar for storage. The dehydrated peppers might keep up to 12 months. Exactly how long depends on food type, preparation, pantry storage conditions, and storage containers.

We’ll use a food-safe desiccant packet for moisture control because we live in a fairly humid area. For our pint-size or quart-size canning jars, we’ll use a single food-safe 5-gram desiccant packet. The desiccant packets will absorb any moisture and extend the shelf life of the dehydrated bell peppers.

We use these inexpensive food-safe desiccant packets, which are available from Amazon. These 5-gram packets have over 5000 of mostly 4- and 5-star customer reviews, with an average of 4.7 stars out of 5.  Our bag of 60 desiccant packets will last quite a while because they can be recharged and reused multiple times. Other food-safe sizes are available.

Lastly, attach or include a short note describing the jar contents and the date the product was dehydrated. The label identifies the canning jar contents, and the date helps with the rotation schedule.  A first-in, first-out rotation helps us to use items that have been on the shelf the longest, so we’re using the oldest food first. This method helps us maintain the integrity of dehydrated products.  The note also lets me know where to go in my dehydrator logbook if I want to make an update.