Dried chillies going mouldy

[Michelle]

I dried my chillies on the conservatory windowsill, where they went pretty dry and shrivelled.

I bought a lovely glass Kilner jar and put them in there last weekend.

Now they are going mouldy, but only the little bit of stalk at the top - they're all fluffy! Each actual chilli is fine.

Have I made a mistake by putting them in a jar?

Could I just cut the tops off each chilli and put them back in the jar?

Any advice much appreciated!

I guess I could grind them up but they look so pretty in the jar...

Thanks

Michelle

[kernowyon]

i keep my dried chillis hanging up in the kitchen, perhaps yours were not completely dry? or maybe it is that you stopped air getting to them?

what type were they as the thicker the chilli the less well they dry out?

[Michelle]

There are two types, one is jalepeno and I can't remember the other, but I know it was smaller and hotter! I guess they are quite large, although they're mostly fairly shrivelled so I though they were dry.

Maybe I'll just string them up instead then. Thanks!

[chengjing]

Hanging them up is a good idea. If you want to keep them in Jar they must be completely dried. I usually put them oven on low heat (gas mark 2) for a few minutes.

[BrideXIII]

you made a mistake putting them in the jar.

only because what looked dried to you was not yet dried, once you put then in a jar there is no air circulating, so any moisture left can cause mould
best way to dry chilies is to leave em hanging, like onions, they are happy that way.

[Two_Sheds]

As the others have said: if mould has started, it means there is moisture present.

Take them out, hang them up in a dry place (the kitchen is probably too steamy)

[Michelle]

Just had a proper look and cut a few open, most are mouldy inside too

I guess I'll just put it down as a lesson learned, what a waste though.

Thanks for your advice.

[Two_Sheds]

I lost all my onions - all of them - one year, because my flat was so damp. They all rotted, and I was gutted.

[Alison]

I always leave mine for ages before I jar them up so as they're nice and handy in the kitchen cupboard. If they are properly dry then it's not a problem but it's always worth cutting up a big one to check before you store.

[Hilary B]

I lost all my onions - all of them - one year, because my flat was so damp. They all rotted, and I was gutted.

It probably wasn't very healthy for you either!
To paraphrase Blunkett, "Ventilation, Ventilation, Ventilation". It applies to so many things (but I know about it applying to homes).

[rustylady]

I usually leave mine hanging up in the kitchen till I need them. Unfortunately didn't have enough this year to do that. Chillies and tomatoes were pathetic for me, and I lost a lot of plants - think someone may have tried to "help" with the watering.

[Two_Sheds]

It probably wasn't very healthy for you either!
To paraphrase Blunkett, "Ventilation, Ventilation, Ventilation". It applies to so many things (but I know about it applying to homes).

I didn't have a lot of choice at the time. Cheap flats tend to be damp, unfortunately. Especially basement flats.

[Hilary B]

I didn't have a lot of choice at the time. Cheap flats tend to be damp, unfortunately.

This is true, and if tenants in the rest of the building don't ventilate to reduce condensation, the benefit from one tenant doing so is limited.
That said, in general all too many people use insufficient ventilation, and this is often bad for themselves, and the house. The bad news is that the higher you turn the thermostat the more ventilation you need, and of course the heat is expensive, so no-one wants to let it get away.......

(note to self, stop going on about survey stuff).

[kate&rob]

i had loads of chillis and just put them whole into the freezer, i took a couple out the other day and they defrost really quickly and are just like fresh. don't know how long they will keep though.

[Stacey Steve]

Our Jalapenos and Top Heat chillies were bottled using white wine vinegar. Also did some Jalapenos layered with onions etc from a recipe on the Vine.

The smaller Demon Reds (well not all of them were red) OH put in her dehydrator and have been bottled whole without any problems,

That dehydrator we got from the Westfalia website has more than paid for it'self this year.