What to do now
Mildest step first.
- Pick peppers that are fully red and firm; set aside any that are soft, spotted or moldy.
- Wash, pat dry, and slit each pepper lengthwise so moisture can escape.
- Dry at about 140°F until the pods snap instead of bending.
- Grind in small batches and store airtight, cold and dark.
Not sure this is it? Check other korean chili pepper problems
Start with ripe red pods
The color of gochugaru comes from the pepper, so start with ripe fruit. New Mexico State University Extension, writing about red chile, notes that pods partly dried on the plant have the best color and that succulent red pods have not fully developed theirs. In a home garden, that means leaving fruit on the plant until it is fully red, a few days longer if the weather stays warm and dry, but picking before pods soften or the first fall frost arrives. Throw out pods with soft spots, sunscald or mold; NMSU notes that some of the fungi that rot chile pods can produce mycotoxins. Wear gloves when you handle hot types.
Why sun drying often fails here
Sun-dried peppers, taeyangcho, are prized in Korea, but in much of the US the late-season air is too cool and humid for pods to dry before they mold. Penn State Extension notes that drying at room temperature works only when heat, humidity and air movement are all adequate, and that air-conditioned homes may be too cool. In a hot, dry climate, pods spread on screens in the sun and brought in at night can dry well. Elsewhere, a dehydrator or oven is the safer choice.
Dehydrator or oven
Wash the peppers, pat them dry, and slit each one lengthwise. The National Center for Home Food Preservation notes that home dehydrators are designed to dry foods at 140°F. Penn State suggests starting at 145°F while there is surface moisture, then finishing at 135 to 140°F; drying much hotter can harden the outside and trap moisture inside. In an oven, Penn State recommends 140 to 150°F with the door propped open 2 to 3 inches, and a convection fan helps. Peppers need no blanching. Clemson Extension gives 8 to 12 hours in a dehydrator for pepper pieces; whole slit pods take longer. They are done when they snap cleanly.
Removing seeds and grinding
When the pods are brittle and cool, cut off the stems and shake out most of the seeds. Many Korean cooks leave some in, and NMSU notes that seeds lower the starting color of ground chile but slow its color loss in storage. Grind in a spice or coffee grinder: pulse briefly for coarse flakes for kimchi, and longer for fine powder for gochujang. Expect a small yield from a big harvest. Commercial chile processors in New Mexico get about 1 pound of dried chile from every 5 pounds of fresh pods.
Keeping the color
Ground chile loses color faster than whole pods or flakes, and warmth, light and air all speed the loss, according to NMSU, which recommends storing dried chile at 32 to 41°F in the dark. At home, keep whole dried pods or coarse flakes in a sealed jar or bag, grind as you need it, and keep gochugaru in the refrigerator or freezer. If your peppers did not ripen red this year, see the page on peppers that stay green; green gochu can go into jangajji instead.
Growing it again? When to plant korean chili pepper for your ZIP code
Growing it again? When to plant pepper for your ZIP code
- Why are my peppers not turning red?Most peppers need another 2–4 weeks after reaching full size to color, and longer in cool weather. Check the variety first — some ripen yellow, orange or purple — then give the plant time and warmth.
- How can I extend my growing season in fall?Row cover fabric, cold frames, and switching to cold-hardy crops are the three most reliable tools for keeping a garden producing several weeks past your first fall frost.