Hanging Hot Peppers to Dry

We got so many hot peppers from our CSA box this week (South Central Farmers' Cooperative) that we had to figure out what to do with them!

I looked in Putting Food By and Stocking Up, old time American preserving books which you can buy cheap online, and they both suggested the same thing. So I got out my needle and thread, and started threading. I organized the peppers by size and color, and then pushed the needle through the thickest part of the stem. Voila! Hang them up by nails on either side of a window that gets lots of sun.

The best thing to do is hang them outside on a South facing wall (to get the most sun), but we don't have one. Plus, I'd rather have them inside to avoid spiderwebs and LA smog.

They are dry when they shrink and can bend without breaking. Leave them hanging and pluck them whenever you need them for a recipe!