Drying And Grinding Of Hot Chilispeppers Food

DRYING AND GRINDING OF HOT CHILIS/PEPPERS

Steps:

• I grow a number of variety of Hot Peppers each year, and have a couple of friends that do so as well. What I don't grow or trade I purchase dry and grind.
• My growing list or shopping list includes: Cayenne, Tabasco, Guajillo, Pequin (Thai Bird Pepper), Chili de Arbol, Jalapeno, New Mexico Reds, Chiltepe, Chipotle, Serrano and any other "Hot" I can find.
• This is a few weeks process. I place the picked peppers in a large brown paper grocery bag no more than two layers deep and close top, and set it in the corner of the kitchen or other dry place. I shake the bag every few days to reposition the peppers. Normally dry one variety in each bag. They're normally dry in 3 weeks. The paper bag helps pull moisture out of them.
• When they are dry and crumble to the hand, I place in oven single layer, and further dry 2 to 3 hours at 170 to 180 degrees. I crack the oven door with a wadded dish towel to vent moisture. I then remove and let set a day before grinding.
• What I don't grow I purchase dry at the store, including some dry Red Pepper Flakes we are all familiar with.
• When dry I remove the stems and grind them up a few at a time in my Coffee Grinder, and place in pint jars and seal. I purge my Coffee Grinder with Salt or Sugar so next morning's coffee is not an inferno.
• When all are ground I place in a large bowl and mix and combine well the whole batch. The yield this year was 2 1/2 pints of a little taste of "Hades". I have used or given half of it away by this end of February. I cut a portion of this with 50% to 70% Paprika to tame it down.

OVEN DRIED HOT PEPPERS-FLAKES OR POWDER

Steps:

• I cut them in half or even quarters so the flesh is open and dries out faster and more even.
• Place them on a cookie sheet that has parchment paper on it in only one layer.
• I dry peppers at 200F degrees.
• Keep an eye on them and remove those that are dry as need be so they don`t burn.
• It can take 1-3 hours.
• You can crush them to make flakes or grind them to make a chili powder.
• Use a coffee grinder or food processor once they are cooled. And grind to flakes or powder.
• Store in a glass jar out of sunlight.