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

Step 1. The Process to Dehydrate Poblano Peppers

Blister and char the skin of the poblano peppers. We use our grill for this task.

Place the blackened poblano peppers in a large bowl and cover it with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Let the peppers steam for 15 minutes.

Cut the stem end off the poblano pepper and remove the seed pod. Wipe off the blackened skin. I find using the back of a knife to scrape off the charred skin works well. Do not rinse off the peppers under water. You’ll wash away the fire-roasted flavor.

Slice the peppers into 1/2 to 1-inch wide strips, then slice into smaller 1-inch bite-sized pieces.

Step 2. Preparing the Dehydrator to Dehydrate Poblano Peppers

You’ll need to use fruit roll sheets for dehydrating poblano peppers.

We will use these removable Nesco fruit roll sheet inserts on our food dehydrator for today’s project.  They have over 3000 customer reviews with an average rating of 4.5 stars out of 5, which is evidence of a great product. Check out other Nesco food dehydrator products here.

Evenly spread out and create a thin layer of the fire-roasted poblano peppers onto the removable fruit roll sheet inserts for even drying. If it’s too crowded, prepare another dehydrator tray.

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

Step 3. Dehydrating Poblano Peppers

To save some time, you can start dehydrating the poblano peppers by setting the initial drying temperature to 160 °F (71 °C) for 2 hours. Then dial the temperature back to 135 °F (57 °C) until dry, approximately 8 to 10 hours.

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 are the Dehydrated Poblano Peppers Done

Start checking for doneness in 6 hours. The peppers usually take 8 to 10 hours to fully dehydrate at 135 °F (57 °C), depending on ambient temperatures and humidity. Remember to use drying times as a guide.

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.

Fully dried, the poblano pepper pieces will be hard, brittle, and snap in half when bent.  

Warm dehydrating peppers still in the food dehydrator will feel somewhat pliable, and you may believe they need more drying time. Simply unplug the dehydrator, or just remove the tray and let it cool down. Then check again to be sure.

Dehydrated poblano peppers should be crisp and brittle when done.

Step 5. Equalizing and Conditioning Dehydrated Poblano Peppers

We always recommend letting food items cool completely after they have finished dehydrating and before packing them into an airtight storage container 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 mold growth.  

After a short cooling period, pack the dehydrated poblano peppers into a clean, dry, insect-proof, and air-tight storage container. We use quart-size canning jars for conditioning. Since the canning jars are clear, it’s easy to see what’s inside.

When the dehydrated poblano peppers are removed from the dehydrator, the remaining moisture may not be distributed equally among 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 and start another batch.

Step 6. Storing the Dehydrated Poblano Peppers

Use an appropriately sized canning jar for storage. The dehydrated poblano peppers might keep up to 12 months. Exactly how long depends upon your pantry storage conditions.

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 mason jars, we’ll use a single food-safe 5-gram desiccant packet. 

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.