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Dehydrating

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pepperjosh

Hello All,
 
Not sure if this is the right forum as I am usually in the growing forum but I need information on dehydrators and suggestions on what to use for peppers. Also does anyone have any suggestions on blenders to make powders and seasonings?
 
First and foremost, dehydrators... I personally use Nesco dehydrators, as do several others on the forum.
 
As for grinding and blenders, that's entirely up to you. I use the Ninja Pro blender to get it down to a more powdery consistency, then finish it off with a coffee grinder. And make sure to wear eye protection and a mask of some kind, as well as gloves. I didn't do the first time and paid the price lol...

Oh, and if you want to save the seeds from the peppers you dehydrate, be sure to dehydrate them at a lower temperature (around 115-120F at most, anything more and you risk cooking the seeds making them unviable), and then knock them out of the peppers as you take them out of the dehydrator.
 
From one Josh to another.
 
Dehydrating is simple if you get a system like this one:
 
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B9F7WJW/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=14VCFVTMB50PP&coliid=IRREJIA3KMEKX&psc=1
 
Reason why, is it's not super expensive like other brands out there and it has a solid and simple design to use.
 
You want to have a machine that has temperature control and enough power to dry large amounts of peppers/meat/fruit etc. A dehydrator will last if you buy a nice properly working machine from the beginning.
 
If you want an incredible machine and are willing to fork up the dough, go with an Excalibur. Maybe something like this:
 
http://www.amazon.com/Excalibur-3926TB-Food-Dehydrator-Black/dp/B008OV4FD0/ref=sr_1_3?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1408048753&sr=1-3&keywords=dehydrator
 
It's a very nice piece of machinery, but you will pay for it.
 
As for a grinder:
 
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E4KLW3Q/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=14VCFVTMB50PP&coliid=I2IZLW78QHL7PN
 
That's a very solid grinder for the price and the key thing about it is the removable bowl. When you dry peppers and then grind them down you need to be able to wash the bowl and grinder out and this one has it as well as it's a steel blade and bowl.
 
A blender isn't completely needed unless you are using it for other stuff like smoothies, puree, or other drinks. I have a small food processor that would work fine and you can pick those up at any store.
 
I use a Nesco dehydrator and have not had any issues with it. I use a Magic Bullet when I want a fine powder and use an ordinary food chopper if I want flakes. One thing to consider when you make your choices are the amount of peppers you will be processing.
 
I have a nesco dehydrator that works well for me when I'm doing small loads,  I have a old blender that I use just for peppers and it turns dried pods to dust and as mentioned use goggles and a face mask along with rubber gloves. I remove the seeds before I dry my pods and open the pods so that they will dry quickly with less heat that way aroma and color stays better than if you have it at the recommended temp. Also I use dark colored glass containers, so that there is no light degradation of the powder if you make a lot of it, I had enough from last years hall to last me all this year and then some, its as fresh as the day I made it as I keep it cool also. I have some fancy little colored vials that I keep a few grams of my favorite powders in, that way I can take some with me where ever I go.
 
Short term, that's not a problem at all. Long term, however, it would probably be better to store it in a glass container due to peppers being slightly acidic. I've got a bunch of salsa/con queso containers from various parties & get together's with friends that I put through my dishwasher on an anti-bacterial cycle, and use to store dehydrated peppers/powders, and they can easily fit 6 ounces of powder.
 
For powders/dehydrated, there's no expiration on them, so as long as the glass containers are sealed and in a cool, dry place, then they can be in there forever. All I do personally is shake the container occasionally to prevent the powder from caking...
 
Not really. Though a silica gel pack or some other descicant pack thrown in wouldn't hurt, just to avoid clumping and such
 
SadisticPeppers said:
Not really. Though a silica gel pack or some other descicant pack thrown in wouldn't hurt, just to avoid clumping and such
Click to expand...
Yeah those silica packs work wonders. Keeps my powder from caking up.
 
any old dehydrator will work for ya, I also use the nesco heres mine 
http://www.amazon.com/Nesco-Snackmaster-Food-Dehydrator-FD-75A/dp/B0090WOCN0/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1420744430&sr=1-1&keywords=nesco+dehydrator
 
As for grinders, I use the normal blender with a mason jar. Lots of folks use this method and it works great for making powders or can also pulse for a rough cut, like pepper flakes....see here
http://thehotpepper.com/topic/11404-silver-surfers-7-24-09-chili-booty/
 
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