Chillies can be picked when fully ripe or early. Ripe chillies can be a variety of colours – red, orange, yellow, green. Red varieties are usually green before they ripen; as they redden they tend to get hotter and sweeter. Chillies are often bought dried. There are a variety of ways to dry chillies depending on the variety. If the walls of the chilli are not too thick, the best way is to sun dry them. Ground chilli powder is widely available, although you should check the ingredients before you buy it – what is often sold as chilli powder is a mix of chilli and other spices such as cumin, coriander, black pepper, salt etc.
