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Storing peppers ?

Hey everyone. Well I have finally gotten most all my peppers dried. Have a bunch frozen also now. Was curious on two things now though. What do you guys store your dried peppers in? I'm guessing they need to be in something air tight so they dont absorb moisture in the air?

The other thing I cant get right is grinding them. I bought the coffee grinder and have it set to fine, but it still doesnt make the peppers so fine that most of it will go through salt shaker holes. I'd really like to mix some dried sweet peppers with some hots and make a sprinke that I can use on top of food. Maybe even add a little salt to it. Kinda like the Tony Chacheres stuff. Cant get the coffee grinder to grind that fine though. Suggestions?

Thanks,
Carito
 
I just stick my dried peppers in quart jars and place them on a shelf in my room. Does the tick quite nicely I must say.

As for the coffee grinder. During the grinding process tilt the unit from side to side a little bit so that all chuncks are blended semi-evenly. Either that or get a more powerful coffee grinder. But I think the tilting should do the trick.
 
Thanks for the advice. Yeah maybe I need to play around with it some more. This is the grinder I bought.
http://www.gehousewares.com/action/browseproduct?content_id=272

As for the quart jars, you're using the glass type with the screw on lid like they use for canning. I think they have a rubber gasket at the top or something?

Is it possible to "opverdry" your peppers in the dehydrator? I've been just drying until they feel crispy and or the seeds rattle.
 
keep your dried peppers in a dark place to preserve their colour. if you want a savoury salt/pepper mix, how about:

1 c coarse salt
1/4 c cracked black pepper
2 T ground white pepper
1 T chile powder - more is better
1 T sugar - optional

store away from heat and light. you can up the chile and reduce the salt. you can throw in some onion and/or garlic powder too - whatever you like.
 
Carito said:
Thanks for the advice. Yeah maybe I need to play around with it some more. This is the grinder I bought.
http://www.gehousewares.com/action/browseproduct?content_id=272

As for the quart jars, you're using the glass type with the screw on lid like they use for canning. I think they have a rubber gasket at the top or something?

Is it possible to "opverdry" your peppers in the dehydrator? I've been just drying until they feel crispy and or the seeds rattle.

Yes the glass jars used for canning. I have not used dehydrators so I can't comment on that. Oh, you got a GE? I've always had huge problems with anything made by GE.
 
Great info on the mix. Yeah I got the GE. We'll see how it goes. I did try it again this time tilting from side to side and that seems to help. Ran the mix thorugh about 6 times. lol. Then I took a small drill bit and drilled out3 of the many holes on the top of the metal salt shaker so more of the pepper could come through. I just made some baked chicken so we will see how to comes out. this is what I made. Dunno how it tastes yet though.

Ahi amarillo
Giant marconi (sweet so thought it would add something)
Cayenne
Hungarian Hot Wax
Salt
Garlic powder
Onion powder
 
Carito said:
Great info on the mix. Yeah I got the GE. We'll see how it goes. I did try it again this time tilting from side to side and that seems to help. Ran the mix thorugh about 6 times. lol. Then I took a small drill bit and drilled out3 of the many holes on the top of the metal salt shaker so more of the pepper could come through. I just made some baked chicken so we will see how to comes out. this is what I made. Dunno how it tastes yet though.

Ahi amarillo
Giant marconi (sweet so thought it would add something)
Cayenne
Hungarian Hot Wax
Salt
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Ahh! You were trying to get it through a salt shaker. Never going to get it that fine with a coffee grinder.
 
Yeah thats what I was trying to do, so that I could use it to sprinkle on dishes. Any ideas on how to get it that fine if not with a salt shaker?
 
Yup, get a nice lil mortar and pestle. I've been grinding down habs and filling up jars and salt/pepper shakers. It comes in such great use for adding spice to anything and everything with just a couple shakes!
 
for me I use Mr coffee grinder. as for storing the dried chiles dont worry about it just throw them into a container like any other spice/herb. but yea you'll need bigger holes to use in the shaker.
if you want some very fine powder out of the shaker, this is just a idea but what about using up one of those spice grinders where you twist the bigger spices inside to produce a finer/powder spice onto your food, use up whats inside it originally or throw it out & fill it up with your own dried spice mixture & then just grind it up for finer powder.
 
Great ideas. I never even though about using one of them hand spice grinders. Might try that. I just picked a bunch and will take a group photo of some peppers. 1st ones ever. 1st garden ever actually.
 
My coffee grinder gets dried chiles into a fine powder UNLESS they are not completely dried. I do not recall the brand, but it is not GE. I do have to tilt it, shake it, remove large particles to be put through again, etc. but it does come out fine in the end.
 
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