• If you can't find a "Hot" category that fits, post it here!

Powder Loses Strength Over Time?

Does chilli powder tend to lose its strength over time?
 
We're talking about 6 months, or thereabouts. 
 
I feel like the powder isn't as hot as it first was, is it losing its potency, or am I just getting more heat resistant?
 
Thanks, TBG.
 
BTW, Powder in question is made from a mix of super hots and birds. Just in case you were wondering...
 
Edmick said:
I don't think after 6 months. You're probably just developing a tolerance. It happens to the best of us. lol  
 
 
D3monic said:
Like mentioned above. your tolerance is probably just going up
 
Well, thats a relief.
 
Hopefully come harvest time I'll actually be able to handle some pods! :rofl:
 
My tolerance is so high right now that it's difficult to cook for other people, When i'm cooking I need to keep in mind that other people don't appreciate it as much as I do so I need to prepare it to the point where I barely notice it and that's usually right where it needs to be for other people. Having a high tolerance isn't always a good thing. lol
 
Gotta be the odd man out.  The more surface area a thing has, the faster it will oxidize.  I think best to store as whole pods and grind them up as needed.  So I am going to go with it depends on how it was stored.  If it is in a vacuum sealed container or if you tossed an O2 eater in the bag I a sure it is good for six months.  But if it fills a quarter of a mason jar and the rest is O2 maybe not so much.  Even worse if its in the light or if it gets warm.  I think those things speed up the process.
 
 
 
AJ Drew said:
Gotta be the odd man out.  The more surface area a thing has, the faster it will oxidize.  I think best to store as whole pods and grind them up as needed.  So I am going to go with it depends on how it was stored.  If it is in a vacuum sealed container or if you tossed an O2 eater in the bag I a sure it is good for six months.  But if it fills a quarter of a mason jar and the rest is O2 maybe not so much.  Even worse if its in the light or if it gets warm.  I think those things speed up the process.
 
 
 
 
I agree. Although I grind only enough to last a month or so, I think powder will degrade a lot faster than dried pods and the conditions of storage are important. For long term storage, I've always liked vacuum packing (seal a meal) and storing in the dark, below 65° F. I've successfully stored habanero for many years this way.
 
Mason jars of whole pods (non-vacuum) stored in these cool, dark conditions always appear to be just fine after a year.

 
 
DWB said:
 
 
I agree. Although I grind only enough to last a month or so
 
 
For my birthday, a family member sent me this spice jar with maybe four ghost peppers in it and a top that grinds like a pepper corn bottle.  At first I thought, ye I need more ghost peppers.  But it is GREAT because I can take the top off and put what ever whole pods I want in it.  Now wearing out, so trying to find the thing empty cause I dont want to pay the price they want for the three or four ghost peppers.  I think she said she got it from Trader Joe or something like that.

I just thought, I'll bet they sell these at Walmart next to normal salt and pepper shakers.
 
 
AJ Drew said:
 
For my birthday, a family member sent me this spice jar with maybe four ghost peppers in it and a top that grinds like a pepper corn bottle.  At first I thought, ye I need more ghost peppers.  But it is GREAT because I can take the top off and put what ever whole pods I want in it.  Now wearing out, so trying to find the thing empty cause I dont want to pay the price they want for the three or four ghost peppers.  I think she said she got it from Trader Joe or something like that.

I just thought, I'll bet they sell these at Walmart next to normal salt and pepper shakers.
 
They have one on amazon. It's called the adhoc pepe stainless steel and acrylic chili cutter.
 
Never fades for me. I know spice companies want you to throw away spices every year so you buy more. I was never sure if that was true but I have ghost powder from like 6 years ago and is the same, and has been in the sun.
 
AJ Drew said:
 
I just thought, I'll bet they sell these at Walmart next to normal salt and pepper shakers.
 
 
Good luck finding anything like that in a store. I can't even find capped shakers in normal stores or stores like Old Time Pottery or BB&B that have a more diverse array of kitchen crap. I buy spice bottles and dump/consolidate the contents to re purpose the bottles for my ground pepper.
 
The box of Yellow Fatalii arrived just now. Thanks. Only a few bad ones in spite of four days in the box. I love Yellow Fatalii. I'm gonna grow me some next year.

 
 
DWB said:
 
The box of Yellow Fatalii arrived just now. Thanks. Only a few bad ones in spite of four days in the box. I love Yellow Fatalii. I'm gonna grow me some next year.
 
I was spoiled when I lived in Ohio and dated a Chef.  She knew the cooking supply places that had anything you could imagine.  That and imagine home made waffles with home made whipped cream and home made strawberry preserves as a normal breakfast.

On Fatalii: It was my fault.  I did not think about the holiday weekend delaying the mail.  So instead of just Sunday, they sat for Sunday and Monday.   If you would like an apology box, send an email off to my wife Aimee@OurDomain.com (spam fighting thing).  Just tell her I said to write.
 
AJ Drew said:
On Fatalii: It was my fault.  I did not think about the holiday weekend delaying the mail.  So instead of just Sunday, they sat for Sunday and Monday.   If you would like an apology box, send an email off to my wife Aimee@OurDomain.com (spam fighting thing).  Just tell her I said to write.
 
It's okay. I didn't think you'd even send them until this week since I read something about you were running days behind. The main objective was getting some seeds and drying the pods for powder.
 
 
The Hot Pepper said:
Never fades for me. I know spice companies want you to throw away spices every year so you buy more. I was never sure if that was true but I have ghost powder from like 6 years ago and is the same, and has been in the sun.
 
Maybe my brain is too much in the prepper mindset.  Not really a doomsday prepper but can see grocery prices suddenly going up due to simple things like weather.  Maybe becoming unavailable if something really horrific happens.  Lets face it, if a storm destroys the local grocery stores and leaves the roads impassable most folk are kind of screwed with what is in their cabinets.

I store dried food in mylar bags, vacuum, O2 eaters and then sealed far beyond what the vacuum selaer does.  Then it goes into a 5 gallon mylar, O2 eater, and into a 5 gallon bucket.  It sounds nuts, but just one bucket of rice would be one hell of a thing to have in the emergencies that many Americans have been experiencing recently.  Oh, and btw: have the dried milk, sugar and spices to turn that rice into pudding cause my kids refuse to eat normal food.  Ugggggg....

So ye, maybe I am over the top when it comes to short term storage of things like spice.
 
 
Back
Top