Recipe: How to Room-Dry Herbs and Chili Peppers (The Joy of Cooking)

HOW TO ROOM-DRY HERBS AND CHILI PEPPERS

"Food can be dried in any warm room with good circulation of air on the dry side. Optimum conditions are temperatures above 85 degrees F and humidity below 60 percent.

A broad south facing window sill will be most likely to provide these conditions. Herbs and chili peppers are well suited to this method."

HOW TO ROOM-DRY HERBS:
Remove any dead and bruised blossoms and leaves. If the herbs are dusty, place them in a colander and dip in cool water, then shake off the excess water gently. Pat dry on a towel. It is important to dry herbs thoroughly, as they mildew easily.

Tie stalks into small bunches with cotton string and place each bunch upside down inside a large paper bag that has ventilation holes punched allover. Tie the neck of the bag tightly, and hang the bag with leaves facing downward in a warm, airy place. The bag keeps light from degrading the leaves and flowers, and catches any seeds that pop.

HOW TO ROOM-DRY CHILI PEPPERS:
For chili peppers from the garden, pull up the plant, shake off the earth from the roots, wipe the peppers with a damp cloth, and hang the plant upside down in a ventilated paper bag or by itself. (This technique also works with annual herb plants such as the basils, German chamomile, and sweet marjoram. When the herb leaves and flowers are brittle, pull them off the stems over a sheet of waxed paper. The pieces are best left whole.)

For chili peppers from the market, thread a stout needle with an arm's length of string and make a big knot at one end. String the peppers on the line, pushing the needle through the stems. Leave 1/2-inch or so between each pepper. Tie a loop on the top and hang the peppers in a dark but airy part of the room. A chili pepper is finished drying when it is brittle.

Adapted from source: Joy of Cooking: All About Canning and Preserving by Irma S. Rombauer, Ethan Becker, Marion Rombauer Becker