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

Step 1. The Process to Dehydrate Jalapeno Peppers

There isn’t much to do in the way of processing jarred jalapeno peppers for dehydration.  Just drain the jar of its salty brine through a mesh strainer; that’s it.  What we’re left with are yummy slices of pickled jalapeno pepper slices.

Consider saving that drained pickled jalapeno pepper brine in a canning jar.  Use it in recipes that require a bit of added vinegar for a little extra zing.

Step 2. Preparing the Dehydrator to Dehydrate Jalapeno Peppers

For dehydrating our jalapeno peppers, we are using these removable Nesco Clean-A-Screen mesh screens for sticky fruits and small food items such as these pepper slices 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.

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.

Next, layer the pickled jalapeno slices on the removable mesh screens. Discard any jalapeno slices with the woody stem still attached.

The Nesco 13.5-inch round dehydrator tray has close to 119 square inches or .8 square feet of surface area for drying.

For planning purposes, a 32-ounce jar of pickled jalapeno peppers will fill nearly 4 Nesco FD-61 13.5-inch round dehydrator trays.

Step 3. Dehydrating Pickled Jalapeno Peppers

To save time, you can start dehydrating the pickled jalapeno peppers by setting the drying temperature to 160 °F / 71 °C for 2 hours. Then dial the temperature back to 135 °F / 57 °C until dry, approximately 6 to 8 hours, depending upon the ambient temperature and humidity and how crowded you fill your trays.

Step 4. When are the Dehydrated Jalapeno Peppers Done

Start checking for doneness in 6 hours.  Fully dried jalapeno peppers will feel pliable while warm in the dehydrator.  It’s best to remove the food dehydrator tray or unplug the dehydrator, then let it cool down a bit, and then recheck. Fully dried, the dehydrated jalapeno peppers will be crisp and easily break into pieces.

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

Step 5. Equalize and Condition the Dehydrated Jalapeno Peppers

We always recommend letting food items cool completely after they have finished dehydrating and before packing them into an airtight storage container. 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 naturally occurring household humidity.  Do not leave dehydrated food items exposed to the elements any longer than necessary because of the increased risk of mold growth.

After a short cooling period, pack the dehydrated pickled jalapeno peppers into clean, dry, insect-proof containers with tight-fitting lids. We use clear canning jars for this task.

When the dehydrated pickled jalapeno peppers are removed from the dehydrator, the remaining moisture may not be distributed equally among the dried pepper slices because of their size, location, and position in the dehydrator. Equalizing and conditioning is a procedure used to equalize moisture among dehydrated food items and reduce the risk of mold growth. Let the dehydrated jalapeno peppers equalize and condition in the temporary storage container for 7 to 10 days.

A quality stainless steel or plastic canning funnel makes the messy job of getting dehydrated foods off the dehydrator tray removable inserts and into the canning jars an easy task. Take a minute or two and check them out here on Amazon.

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.

Step 6. Storing Dehydrated Pickled Jalapeno Peppers

Regardless of the type of storage container, it must be air-tight with a tight-fitting lid.

My preferred means of longer-term storage of dehydrated jalapeno peppers are canning jars with tight-fitting lids and a desiccant packet used for moisture control because we live in a fairly humid area.

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.

Do not leave your dehydrated food items exposed and unprotected any longer than necessary for the task at hand. It does not take long for dehydrated food items to naturally start hydrating from ambient household humidity.  As such, this will increase the risk of mold growth.

Attach or include a short note describing the contents and the date the product was dehydrated. The note also informs us where to go in the dehydrator logbook to make another note.