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Grinding dry peppers

How do you all grind your peppers into a powder? I generally just do pepper seeds and all and end up with a jar like they had at Pizza Hut with hot pepper flakes and seed.

I want to grind it into a powder so I can better mix it with my bread crumbs for breading fish. Do you take out the seeds after you dry them, or cut them in half and remove the seeds before drying. I usually string my peppers. If removing the seeds first, will I have to dehydrate them?

Thanks.
 
Coffee grinders work well. For the fine powder choose one with a shallow blade height.

Yes, you can remove seeds before by cutting in half and de-seeding, then dehydrating.
 
i only take the seeds out before grinding if i want to save the seeds.

what are you using to grind your pods? i've been using a mason jar attached to the base of my blender (got the idea on this site somewhere) and the seeds seem to grind up just fine. the coffee grinder worked as well or even a tad better but it lacked the capacity of the blender/jar method and i was tending to mace myself with powder when i opened it.
 
Right on JT.
You can also use a Ball Jar on your blender, just screw the jar onto the blade/ gasket/ ring that the blender pitcher screws into.

and if you want to step it up a notch...

This thing will turn 5 whole nutmegs into moon dust powder in about 15 seconds... I LOVE IT!

851a54c6.jpg
 
I like to de-seed before dehydrating, especially if it is easy like these jalapenos. Cayennes and little pods are a pain in the neck, so I dehydrate first and then scrape most of the seeds aside before grinding. Still a pain in the neck. Nothing wrong with seeds in there, actually!

Like other said, you can unscrew a blender top and replace it with a mason jar. Half-pint size works pretty well. You can pulse it a bit to make flakes or grind a long time to make finer powder. Here's some dehydrated jals in progress. I ground some--see powder in bottom of jar--added more dried jals, about to grind again:

101111%252520deyhy%252520014.jpg
 
Just remember to flip the jar and tap it down and let it settle. I have been dusted a few time even with the mason jar method I love so much.
 
Thanks for all the tips. Do most of you dehydrate yours in a dehydrator/oven or string most of them up. I have some Cayennes that strung up nice and dried pretty, and some that didn't dry looking too well.
 
thick fleshed chiles like jalapenos don't string dry so well unless you're out in the desert or something. Thin-fleshed like cayennes will string dry nicely if the weather/temps are in your favor.

Many people dry using dehydrators of all shapes and sizes. That will give you the best consisntency when drying.

I'll see if I can find the mason jar thread with more pics-


Oh and fwiw, I dehydrated in a food dryer and ground (~10# of DRIED chiles) using a hand-crank grain mill that I automated...I'll see if I can find that also~~~


just in case you need to do this-
http://www.thehotpep...ny-hot-peppers/

more info-
http://www.thehotpep...owdered-pepper/


Do Not Attempt This Method unless you know what the heck you're dealing with-
http://www.thehotpepper.com/topic/19046-chile-grinding-contraption/


there are many dehydrating and grinding threads here in The Test Kitchen section. Just kick back and read~
 
if you want it super ground into a fine powder do it the old fashioned way
using a Stone Mortar And Pestle. -blood sweat & lot's of tears.

932219-stone-mortar-with-red-chillies.jpg

Superfine? I don't think so. I use this too but not for superfine.
 
@ The Hot Pepper I was joking.. I use the pestle for making instant mash sauce
coffee grinders is the best way for powder of course -blenders don't work well.

yeah that Krups grinder is the way to go ..cheap & gets the job done

+1 for best answer
 
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