Natwerk Designs

how do i make those strings of dried chillis you see hanging up in mexican kitchens?

i grow chillis so have loads but i dint know how to tie them into strings to dry.

Public Comments

1. They are called Ristras and below is a site on how to make them
2. It is actually pretty simple. Use a needle and thread. I did this one year when I was living in the Mediterranean region. It was a really hot summer and I had a bumper crop of chiles. It's like stringing popcorn. The trick is to be sure you have pretty hot, not to humid weather to hang. Just string them and hang there where they get heat and air. Depending on the weather they should be ready in a few days.
3. Last year I had a good crop cut the chill is of the stem,leaving just a little above the top of the chilli then thread through a piece of fishing nylon I used a needle to do this I would advise you had a thimble to push the needle through the top of the chilli preferably going through a bit of the stem, then all you have to do is cut the stem collecting the chillis leaving the rest looking like a decoration. I am still using last years crop,dried but perfectly usable. This years crop is drying nicely