I had noticed and bloggers all over the place seemed to be mentioning it too that all the chilis were extra hot this year! Maybe it was the exceptionally hot and sunny summer we had here in Toronto but all three of the pepper varieties (long red, jalapeno and cherry bomb) I grew were extra fiery! Seriously I only needed to use 2 chilis for 8 jars of red salsa to get a nice medium heat. With a big bowl of chilis left I decided to dry a bunch for the winter because this is simply one of the easiest preservation techniques ever.
You just string the peppers together through the stem end on some strong thread - think of it like making popcorn strands for the Christmas tree. You'll need to use a large needle and some heavy thread for this as the chilies are quite heavy - I used an upholstery needle and some heavy thread, which is meant for sewing buttons onto winter coats and the like. Hang the chili peppers up somewhere sunny, dry and warm with good airflow. I hung mine from the IKEA pot rack I've put up on the wall on the far side of my kitchen.
It can take several weeks for the jalapenos to completely dry but it's worth it! Once they are dry (they'll be shiny and wrinkled and make a rattling sound when you shake them - that's the seeds inside) store in an airtight jar in a dark cupboard. You can grind some if you'd like to make chili flakes or powder but be careful - you don't want the dust blowing up into your eyes. You can also rehydrate peppers in water for adding to Tortilla soup, chili or black bean soup.
