[3759allen]

i still have a load of chillies that need to be picked, how does everyone keep theirs at there best?

i still have loads dried from last year, and some small fiery ones to dry. so looking for another way.

also tried pickling them last year and not really so impressed, so not that.

i was thinking of chopping and putting into ice cubes or similar, anyone tried this?

thanks.

[Mrs Bee]

I open freeze them then pack them into bags.

[AnneB]

I have made some of mine into chilli jam.  I used Nigella Lawson's recipe.  It goes very well as a dip with all sorts of things and adds a bit of heat to things like falafel, kebabs and so on.

[surbie100]

Chopped chillies frozen in ice cubes work really well, I do a couple of trays each year. Nice and speedy when you're cooking.

[Robster]

I put mine onto trays and keep them in an airy place to dry.  I shuffle them about every now and again.  When properly dry they can be chopped into flakes

[tangojulie]

The first year that I had loads I tried drying, freezing, preserving in oil, and I can't remember what else. Now I just leave them in a fruit punnet on the kitchen windowsill. Just as good and a lot less trouble. They dry themselves nicely and last seemingly for ever. Just chop up as and when needed.

An added bonus of drying is that if you just chop the cap off at the stalk end you can fit the tip of a kitchen knife inside, run round once, tap the open end on a chopping board and all the seeds drop out easy peasy, none of that worrying you've inadvertently left some seeds in and made it too hot.

[surbie100]

Sticking them in the freezer whole also works really well. They are easy to chop up while still frozen.

[bravemurphy]

I dried mine and chopped them fine with a mezzaluna and was VERY surprised how much space they didn't need 

It seems easier because I can take just a pinch or less if I like.

[gowing238]

Ive always picked all of mine then slung them in a freezer. Easy to chop frozen and taste almost as good as fresh every day of the week.

[timdunn]

I'm giving this fermented chilli sauce recipe a go just now. I added a tiny bit of live yogurt to kick-start the lacto-fermentation http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/fermented-hot-chili-sauce/   It's bubbling away in my kitchen as I type 

[tosca100]

I froze mine whole and chop from frozen too. I did pull the top off with most of the seeds though.

[LotuSeed]

I'm giving this fermented chilli sauce recipe a go just now. I added a tiny bit of live yogurt to kick-start the lacto-fermentation http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/fermented-hot-chili-sauce/   It's bubbling away in my kitchen as I type 

I was thinking of something slightly similar, though it's more of a paste than a sauce. It's called gochujang and it's a popular condiment in Korean cuisine. Lovely stuff but not as simple to make as what you linked to!

[timdunn]

There's a lot of recipes out there using that technique for chillies. Never tried it before but have been thinking of giving lacto-fermentation a go for a while and this does seem a fairly easy starting point. Bought a book on preserving without canning or freezing a while back which goes into much more detail about LF. A useful book to turn to when your freezer's full up! Preserving Food without Freezing or Canning: Traditional Techniques Using Salt, Oil, Sugar, Alcohol, Drying, Cold Storage, and Lactic Fermentation https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1933392592/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_0tWAub1V5JT8J

[3759allen]

i have plenty of dried ones already. i dry all my little elf chillies, as they seem to dry very quick, a lot of them dry on the plant.

i think i'll freeze whole, as i seem to be too busy to do anything at the moment. sounds the easiest way.

[8doubles]

Harissa paste is a great way to use a bumper crop of chillies !