It's super important to keep your dried peppers away from air, moisture, light, and heat. Otherwise, they might change color, lose their flavor, or even get moldy. Store your dried chili peppers in an airtight container in your pantry, or even better, pop them in the freezer! If you store them like this, they'll last a long time. But for the best flavor and heat, try to use them within a year.

Store in an airtight container

We often recommend storing dried peppers in airtight containers. The reason is that an airtight package prevents the dried pepper from losing its flavor. An airtight container also keeps dried peppers away from moisture. Moisture will be absorbed by the pepper, causing it to partially rehydrate. This can lead to dried peppers molding and eventually spoiling, just like fresh ones.

Airtight containers alone aren't enough, because dried chili peppers can spoil faster in the light. Brightly colored chili peppers will fade to a dull gray if you store them in a well-lit spot, like a clear container on your counter. This also makes them lose their flavor. So, make sure your airtight packaging isn't see-through, or just keep them in a dark place, like a pantry or drawer.

Heat can also cause a dried pepper to lose its flavor. Keep your peppers away from the stove or oven until you're ready to use them. Don't place the airtight container above the stove or in any other part of your kitchen where it might be exposed to high temperatures.

Freezing

If you want to store your dried peppers for a really long time, we suggest freezing them. Freezing your dried chili peppers creates the perfect environment to keep them fresh for as long as possible. Your freezer provides low temperatures, darkness, and no circulating air, especially if you use a freezer bag. Plus, freezing protects your peppers from pests and mold.
It's super important to freeze the peppers individually so they don't stick together and get damaged when you take them out. Once they're completely frozen, you can pop them into an airtight freezer bag with a date sticker. When you need a dried pepper, just grab one, let it thaw, and/or rinse it under lukewarm water. After that, your pepper is ready to use just like any other dried pepper.