It is important to avoid exposure to air, moisture, light and heat, which can cause the dried chillies to discolour, lose their flavour or even go mouldy. Store the dried chillies in an airtight container in the pantry or even better, in the freezer. If you store them this way, the dried chillies will keep for a long time, but for optimal taste and spiciness don’t keep them longer than a year.

Store in an airtight container

It is often recommended to store the dried chillies in airtight containers. The reason for this is that an airtight container prevent the dried chillies from losing their flavour. An airtight container also keeps the dried chillies away from moisture. Moisture will be absorbed by the pepper, so it will be partially rehydrated. This can cause the dried chillies to go mouldy and eventually spoil, just like fresh chillies.

Airtight containers alone are not enough, because dried chilli peppers also spoil faster in (sun)light. Brightly coloured chilli peppers discolour to a dull grey colour when stored in a light environment, for example in a transparent container on a countertop. This will also reduce their flavour. Make sure the airtight container is not transparent or stored in a dark place, such as a pantry or drawer.

Heat can also cause a dried chilli to lose its flavour. Keep the chillies away from the cooker until ready to cook. Do not place the airtight container above the cooker, oven or in any other part of your kitchen where it can be exposed to high temperatures.

Freezing

If you want to store your dried chillies for a longer time, we recommend to freeze them. Freezing your dried chillies provides the right environment to maximise their shelf life. Your freezer provides low temperatures, darkness and absence of circulating air, as long as you use a freezer bag. The freezer also protects your peppers from pests and moulds. It is important to put the chillies separately in the freezer so that they do not stick together and become damaged when you take them out of the freezer. When the peppers are completely frozen you can keep them in an airtight freezer bag with a date sticker on it. If you need a dried pepper, you can easily take it out, let it defrost and/or rinse it under lukewarm water. After this you can use it again as a regular dried pepper.