Recipe Details
Transform fresh bell peppers into lightweight, trail-ready staples with your food dehydrator—perfect for adding vibrant flavour and nutrients to backpacking soups, stews, or trail mixes.
Prep Time
15min
Cook Time
12h
| Characteristic | Details |
|---|---|
| Difficulty: | Easy |
| Cost: | Cheap |
| Category: | Dehydrated Recipes |
| Seasons: | All |
Ingredients
Ingredients & Servings: Easily customize your meal with our adjustable servings slider. The ingredient list dynamically updates, ensuring perfect portions for your camping adventure, whether solo or with a group.
For 1 Batch(es)
Ingredients
| 4 Peppers | Large bell peppers (red, green, yellow, orange, or mixed) |
Storage
| 1 gram | Food-safe desiccant packet (2 packets for humid environments) |
How to Dehydrate Bell Peppers Directions
- Bell peppers bring a burst of colour and flavour to any trail meal, making them a must-have for backpackers. Their vibrant reds, yellows, or greens add a cheerful touch to dishes, and dehydrating them turns these versatile veggies into lightweight, shelf-stable staples perfect for your pack.
- Start with 4 large bell peppers—red, yellow, or green, depending on your taste. Red and yellow peppers offer a sweeter, fruitier profile, while green peppers lean savoury, ideal for hearty trail recipes. Wash thoroughly under cold water and pat dry with a clean towel to remove moisture, which ensures faster drying.
- Prep the peppers by cutting away stems, seeds, and white ribs. Slice into 1/4-inch strips or dice into 1/4-inch pieces for quicker dehydration—smaller pieces mean faster rehydration on the trail, perfect for spontaneous meal additions.
- Arrange the pieces in a single layer on your food dehydrator trays, avoiding overlap to ensure even drying. If your trays have large holes, use mesh liners to keep small pieces from slipping through.
- Set your dehydrator to 125°F (52°C) and dehydrate for 8-15 hours, rotating trays every 4 hours for uniform results. Peppers are done when they’re brittle and snap when bent—no moisture should remain.
- How to Use: Dehydrated bell peppers are a game-changer for backpacking meals. To rehydrate, soak 3 tbsp in 1/2 cup boiling water for 15-20 minutes, or add directly to liquid dishes like soups, chili, or stews that simmer for 10+ minutes. Try these ideas:
- Mix into trail chili or vegetable soup for a flavour boost.
- Rehydrate for pasta dishes, couscous, or quinoa salads.
- Add to taco fillings or Spanish-style rice for vibrant colour.
- Grind into powder for a savoury seasoning in dry rubs or marinades.
- Once cooled (about 30 minutes), condition the peppers by loosely packing them in a transparent airtight container (e.g., mason jar) for 7 days, shaking daily to check for moisture. Store in vacuum-sealed bags or glass jars with a 1-5-gram food-safe desiccant packet for long-term, trail-ready use.
Recipe Notes
- Choosing Peppers: Select firm, unblemished bell peppers—red or yellow for sweeter notes, green for savoury depth. Mix colours for visual and flavour variety in trail meals.
- Blanching (Optional): Blanch peppers (4 minutes in boiling water, then ice bath) to preserve colour and speed drying, but skip for a simpler process.
- Storage Tips:
- Let peppers cool completely before storing to prevent condensation.
- Short-Term Storage: For use within a few weeks, store in a ziploc bag or sealed container in a pantry or cool, dry place.
- Long-Term Storage: Condition by loosely packing in a transparent airtight container for 7 days, shaking daily to check for moisture. If condensation appears, return to the dehydrator for 1-2 hours; discard if mold forms. After conditioning, store in vacuum-sealed bags or mason jars with a 5-gram desiccant packet in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.
- Trail Use: 3 tbsp dried peppers replace 1 cup fresh—perfect for soups, chili, or trail mixes. Rehydrate in boiling water or add directly to simmering dishes.
- Dehydrator Recommendation: I personally use and highly recommend the Cosori food dehydrator for its adjustable temperature, ensuring perfect drying results for trail-ready ingredients.
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Nutrition facts
Serving size 1/4 cup vegetarian
Per Serving
| Kcal: | 30 kcal |
| Fibers (g): | 2g |
| Sodium (mg): | 5mg |
| Carbs: | 7g |
| Sugar (g): | 5g |
| Saturated fat (g): | 0.1g |
| Proteins: | 1g |