Grow your own red chile and you never have to buy a ristra again... every strand starts with a seed in your soil! From seed to ceiling. 🌶️
What kind of pepper do you grow to make your own Ristra? While many types of peppers can be dried in ristras, the most common peppers used are New Mexico Chile varieties.
The best peppers for a ristra are typically New Mexico Chile varieties, especially varieties like Sandia Hot or the mild 6-4 chile, which are known for their excellent drying quality, vibrant red color, and pliable stems.
All New Mexico chile varieties start out green and ripen to red, though some are more suited to drying and others like Big Jims have thick flesh which are great to roast when green.
A customer's goals this year: Grow enough red chile to braid my own ristras and have homegrown heat hanging by the front door all winter long. I’m planting Hatch, New Mexico–type chile and letting the pods fully ripen on the plant until they turn a deep, glossy red before picking and stringing them up to dry.
Some people make wreaths from their red chiles!
Ristras are used to dry peppers... they were NOT originally created for just decoration, they were used to dehydrate chiles for year-round use in the kitchen. If you do this, make sure to store them indoors in a cool, dry place, out of the elements so they don't get wet and start to mold or loose their color.
There’s something grounding about watching those green pods blush red, knowing they’ll become both kitchen staples and beautiful, traditional decor. One plant, three gifts: fresh chile in summer, glowing ristras in fall, and rich red chile powder for cozy winter meals.
Here’s to growing your own spice and hanging up a little piece of harvest magic. 🌶️
This Ristra in New Mexico above is not likely going to be used for cooking, but rather, for decoration. If you want to keep your Ristra for use in the kitchen, be sure to store it in a cool, dry, and dark place to prevent the peppers from molding or fading!
Red chile comes in different heat levels, so you can choose the right spice for your tastebuds:
