OT - Using pepper seeds to grow from home dried pods...?

[CW2V]

This is just for my middle school kid's science experiment.

Since the local stores do not have seeds available yet, would seeds that were dried in a dehydrator (circulated heat) be viable for planting? The plants were from 2013 summer. Would cross-pollination be a problem? The experiment is for speed of growth only.

TIA

CW2V