Thanks all
Biting the bullet and going to attempt (!) a ristra - found a good site
USING CHILE: Making Ristras, Making Chile Sauce which I'll attempt to follow. Humidty here today is about 65% with a max. temp 17C and min 5C so I'll make sure to keep it warm and dry. Think I'll also freeze some to make sure I've got some if all else fails - which it may well hehe