There are many chili pepper varieties, all of which you can consume fresh and most of which you can preserve by drying. So is there a discernable difference in the amount of heat between the fresh and dried versions of the same chili? Sometimes the dried version seems hotter, and other times the fresh option. So which is right?
Just like most questions about heat on the Scoville scale, the answer here is not as cut and dry as you’d expect. Yes, dried chilies are typically hotter than their fresh counterparts. But there’s a scientific twist that leads to the fresh pepper often tasting hotter in real life. Let’s review.
Dried peppers typically contain more capsaicin
Capsaicin is the alkaloid compound in hot peppers that gives them their heat. The higher the concentration of capsaicin, the hotter the chili will be. Capsaicin increases in peppers as they ripen (along with how long they stay on the vine), so fully mature peppers (often red in color) have more capsaicin when compared to unripe ones (typically green in color). This is why there’s a Scoville heat range for each pepper, as the overall heat can fit
–> Learn More: Red Repper Vs. Green Pepper—How Do They Compare?e
Chili peppers that are destined for drying are typically allowed to ripen fully before they undergo the drying process, so they have a high capsaicin concentration and are at maximum heat when they are dehydrated.
Another important fact: Capsaicin is oil-based and is not water soluble, it does not evaporate as the peppers are being dried. In other words: The capsaicin content remains the same even after the water is removed. As a result, dried peppers have just as much capsaicin as fresh ones, just in a more concentrated space. So technically, they tend to be hotter.
But there’s a twist. Sometimes the fresh pepper will taste hotter than its dried counterpart, even when comparing an unripened (and less hot) green chili vs. a ripened and dried version.
Why fresh peppers can taste hotter than dried
The main physical difference between dried and fresh chili peppers is the water content, and that’s the key behind the mystery. The amount of water in the pepper impacts the heat that you feel from it. It’s not that water adds to the heat. It simply moves it around your mouth way more effectively, creating a much hotter eating experience. This is exactly why you don’t use water to treat chili burn (but learn what does work.)
How it works: Oil-based capsaicin is bonded to the water molecules in fresh chili peppers. The capsaicin, then, is dispersed differently when compared to the capsaicin in dried hot peppers. More moisture means that the capsaicin goes to more places in your mouth and, therefore, may seem to be hotter even when there is not more of it.
Things can change again with cooking
Everything above can change once again when using dried and fresh chilies as ingredients in recipes. The difference in heat level between fresh and dried chilies really only applies if you are eating them raw or if they are in a cooked dish that does not have any added moisture. When there is added moisture, the capsaicin will be distributed equally among the water content. The equal distribution means that you cannot detect much of a difference in heat between the two forms.
Another consideration: Form factor
We raise this in case you’re comparing a dried chili pepper powder compared to an equivalent fresh chili. The smaller the form factor of your ingredient, the more it permeates a dish. So a chipotle powder will likely feel spicier in a dish than a fresh red jalapeño or even a whole dried chipotle that’s been roughly chopped.
How to lessen the heat
With both dried and fresh chilies, the same holds true: the white membrane (or pith) within the chili holds the most capsaicin in the fruit. Remove that membrane (and the seeds it holds) and a large source of spiciness disappears. The chili’s skin and walls hold capsaicin too, so this does not remove all heat. It simply helps lessen the spiciness in a very controllable way.
Must-read related posts
- How Long Do Dried Peppers Last? What shelf life should you expect?
- Male And Female Peppers: Do they exist? Learn the fact and fiction behind peppers and genders.
- Why Are Bell Peppers Different Colors? There may be more to it than you think.
I’ve found that dropping a complete ghost pepper pod (have only done it with dried pos so far) into a quart of vodka and letting it steep for a few weeks makes an ideal spice for Bloody Marys or spiced rum. A couple of tablespoons in a 10 ounce glass is usually too much for the uninitiated but it yields a very nice flavour.