Pepper season can leave you with more chiles than you know what to do with. Whether you’re harvesting jalapeños, serranos, bird’s eye chiles, habaneros, or another variety, a bumper crop is a good excuse to preserve them, cook them down, and put their heat to work.
Before deciding what to do with your haul, it helps to know how to manage the heat. Many smaller chile varieties tend to be hotter than larger ones, but size alone isn’t a reliable indicator of heat. A chile’s spiciness comes from capsaicin, which is concentrated primarily in the pale ribs and membranes inside the pepper. The seeds themselves contain little capsaicin but can pick it up from the surrounding tissue, so to tone down the heat, remove the white interior ribs and seeds. And consider wearing gloves when handling especially hot chiles, since capsaicin can irritate your skin and eyes. Here’s what to do with what may seem like too many chiles this season.
Pickle your chiles
Like many vegetables, chiles are great pickled. This method extends their shelf life and gives you spicy condiment with a tangy punch. Use your favorite brine recipe, or try our pickles with a kick recipe, which combines vinegar, sugar, and peppercorns to create spicy pickles. Chiles can be pickled solo or added to other pickled veggies for a spicy effect.
Bottle your own sriracha
If you’re a hot sauce fan, try whipping up a batch with fresh chiles. This homemade sriracha recipe recreates the garlicky chile sauce with roasted red peppers and Fresno chiles for tongue-tingling heat. You can play around with the spice levels and garlic flavor, and even make a green version with your green chiles. Homemade hot sauce makes a great gift—or maybe even a hobby that can become a side hustle.
Infuse your favorite spirit with chile
Spicy Bloody Mary fan? Love a martini that ranks high on the Scoville scale? Start infusing. Slice a chile or a few (depending on heat levels) and add them to a bottle of your favorite spirit.
If you want to do a test run, decant that spirit into a small jar before infusing. Let the chiles steep in the alcohol, tasting after a few hours since hotter peppers can infuse quickly. If the booze isn’t spicy enough, keep the chiles in for another day and taste again, continuing to sample until the liquor reaches your desired spice level. Then, strain out the chiles and return the infused spirit to its container, making sure to label it.
Shake up spicy cocktails
You don’t need to pre-infuse alcohol to make sippable spicy cocktails. Homemade sriracha syrup makes a great drink mixer, or you can muddle your favorite chiles into a spicy margarita. Spicy piña coladas are another fun way to balance sweet and spicy flavors, and a small chile makes for a cheeky garnish.
Dry your chiles
You can DIY gourmet dried chiles with just fresh chiles and some patience. Using a needle and string, thread the needle through the chile stems, adding more peppers as desired. Make sure not to crowd the peppers, so they can get plenty of airflow and don’t stick together. Hang the string in warm, dry, well-ventilated place and let the air do the work. This method works best in a low-humidity environment; otherwise, the peppers may mold before they fully dry.
For a faster method, lay chiles on a baking sheet in a single layer, and dehydrate them in your oven, set at at its lowest temperature, ideally around 140°F to 170°F. Leave the oven door slightly ajar if needed to allow moisture to escape, and flip them occasionally to ensure they’re drying evenly. Remove them once they’re completely dry and brittle, then let them cool completely before storing. Keep them in a jar or resealable bag.
You can also break down dried chiles with a food processor and use them as a seasoning or to make crispy garlic chile oil.
Make chile salt
This spicy salt makes a punchy finishing seasoning and is also great for rimming glasses for drinks. Combine 1 cup of kosher salt and 2 to 4 chiles (halved lengthwise, ribbed, and seeded) in a food processor. Process until fully combined, scraping down the sides if necessary. Then, spread the salt mixture in a thin layer onto a sheet tray and let it dry completely, which may take 24 to 48 hours depending on the chiles and humidity. Funnel into a jar, cover, and store in a cool, dry place.
Freeze whole chiles
If you’re still overwhelmed by your chile harvest, just freeze them whole. Wash and thoroughly dry your chiles, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or airtight container. For the best quality, use them within about six months, though properly frozen peppers can remain safe longer.
The frozen chiles can be grated with a microplane to cook with or finish a dish. They can also be tossed whole or halved into simmering dishes, stir-fries, soups, and more. Keep in mind: Once thawed, frozen chiles will be softer than fresh ones, which may be fine if you’re cooking with them or making a condiment, but is not ideal for fresh garnishes or salads.
