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preservation Drying Peppers

AlabamaJack

AlabamaJack

eXtreme
Question for the knowledgeable folks here...

I went into my storage building yesterday afternoon and it was 116F (~47C). In your opinion, can I use this area as a drying area for my excess peppers?

I currently have them laying on paper towels in a low side container by a west facing window that gets direct afternoon sun.
 
I think it depends on the humidity too, if they're in high humidity they might start to rot before they can dry. Good ventilation helps.
 
rainbowberry said:
if they're in high humidity they might start to rot before they can dry. Good ventilation helps.
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POTAWIE said:
Definitely get a humidity guage, and not the cheap metal coil ones
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what range humidity should I be looking for?
 
I just dry them in the sun. the sun here is excellent for drying. just dried tons of cherries for storing seeds in the freezer. took me a couple of days.
 
In your climate AJ you should be ok, as long as its not raining. I have trouble in my climate and can only dry when humidity is below 50% so I often need a drying room or dehydrator
 
Most of the time our humidity during the day is below 50%...at night it will climb to 65% or so....

Humidity now is 100% because it is absolutely pouring cats and dogs here....thanks God for the rain...first significant rainfall in over 3 weeks...

I have a cheap dehydrator I used last year and it worked pretty good...I was just wondering if I could use my storage shed to dry in since the temps were so high in this north texas sun...

Omri...what does your humidity run over where you are?
 
According to the internet, Ashdod is about 43% humidity. so if Ashdod (basically on the coast) is 43%, then it's somewhat lower here.
 
and I think you said yoru average summer time temp in the daytime is about 40C?
 
...i know that some people have succesfully tried to dry peppers using a de-humidifier in a room, without need to increase temperature...

but it's a slow procedure...
 
Does anyone use a dehydrator? Can anyone recommend a good one for about $40? I almost bought one of those Ronco ones, but chickened out. I really need a dehydrator anyway. It's a shame to have to buy herbs when you can grow them and save them. Same with peppers. I'd rather not give all my peppers away. I'd much rather dry a bunch and save them that way.
 
fineexampl said:
Does anyone use a dehydrator? Can anyone recommend a good one for about $40? I almost bought one of those Ronco ones, but chickened out. I really need a dehydrator anyway. It's a shame to have to buy herbs when you can grow them and save them. Same with peppers. I'd rather not give all my peppers away. I'd much rather dry a bunch and save them that way.
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bunches of people here use Dehydrators fine...mine is a cheap one the wife got at an outlet store for 30 bucks...no temperature control but it does have a vent on the top and 6 racks...I used it last year to dry all my peppers and it worked OK...just had to run it over 24 hours until the peppers were dry enough to make powder out of....
 
fineexampl said:
Does anyone use a dehydrator? Can anyone recommend a good one for about $40? I almost bought one of those Ronco ones, but chickened out. I really need a dehydrator anyway. It's a shame to have to buy herbs when you can grow them and save them. Same with peppers. I'd rather not give all my peppers away. I'd much rather dry a bunch and save them that way.
Click to expand...


I have a cheap dehydrator, and it's works... but is very small and often i use the oven ...

last year i built an home-made dehydrator made by a box internally covered by oven-paper (aluminium... i don't know english name, domopack?) with a light bulb to warm it. I found the idea on the web, just add a fan to extract air (slowly) to avoid humidity. The box works too but i've no trust to light on when i'm not home...
 
AlabamaJack said:
bunches of people here use Dehydrators fine...mine is a cheap one the wife got at an outlet store for 30 bucks...no temperature control but it does have a vent on the top and 6 racks...I used it last year to dry all my peppers and it worked OK...just had to run it over 24 hours until the peppers were dry enough to make powder out of....
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24hrs doesn't seem like a long time to me. Maybe i'm just ignorant though. I assumed it took 2-3 days to dry stuff out.

I'm going to check those Nescos again.

Good topic AJ. Didn't mean to hijack it on ya. :)
 
nipotastro said:
I have a cheap dehydrator, and it's works... but is very small and often i use the oven ...

last year i built an home-made dehydrator made by a box internally covered by oven-paper (aluminium... i don't know english name, domopack?) with a light bulb to warm it. I found the idea on the web, just add a fan to extract air (slowly) to avoid humidity. The box works too but i've no trust to light on when i'm not home...
Click to expand...

Foil is the word you are looking for Nipo and that is a great idea....a home made dehydrator....kinda like a home made smoker...

I get I could make a plywood box what ever size I want, paint it black on the outside, a small exhaust fan that is turned on and off via a remote bulb thermostat, or simply on a timer set at 30 minute intervals...hmmmmmmmmm
 
fineexampl said:
24hrs doesn't seem like a long time to me. Maybe i'm just ignorant though. I assumed it took 2-3 days to dry stuff out.

I'm going to check those Nescos again.

Good topic AJ. Didn't mean to hijack it on ya. :)
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you haven't hijacked anything fine...title of the thread is drying peppers so that is what we are talkin about...its all good man...

nipotastro said:
these are the original projects web pages, i've added and modified something

http://www.alpharubicon.com/prepinfo/dehydratorstryder.htm

http://www.k-clements.fsnet.co.uk/dehydrator.html
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thanks for the links nipo...that is exactly what I had in mind....
 
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