powder-flake Making pepper powder....

Islander

Islander

I dehydrated some peppers and put them in a spice blender but its not really powder its sticky powder.... How can i prevent the caking?
 
The caking powder can be saved by adding enough water to make it a thick paste then redrying
 
not sure you want to re-dry powder,,especially indoors 
 
:cool:
Kevin
 
While true in most cases, there are some really oily chiles that are dried but sticky (New Mexico's, Pasilla Anchos, Pasilla Negros, etc). The only way to dry them "cracker crisp" is to roast them in the oven which cooks the oils out. I don't like that. The flavor is in the oils. I use an anti-caking agent made from an organic "rice concentrate". Basically rice powder.
 
It's called Nu-Flow...  http://www.ribus.com/nu-flow
 
I keep the silicon thingies from my prescription bottles.... use them for just about everything.... including my jerky... anyone else use them for keeping stuff dry? Am I wasting my time?
 
Spicy Joe said:
I keep the silicon thingies from my prescription bottles.... use them for just about everything.... including my jerky... anyone else use them for keeping stuff dry? Am I wasting my time?
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You really dont have to do that, just use any airtight container or zip-lock bag, if the outside air is not getting into the container, they should be just fine. 
wayright said:
The caking powder can be saved by adding enough water to make it a thick paste then redrying
 
not sure you want to re-dry powder,,especially indoors 
 
:cool:
Kevin
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LOL Kevin, are you trying to have islander kicked out of the house? 
Have you even smelled the burning powder while grilling?. It is way worse than making fresh powder without a mask. 
 
Spicy Joe said:
I keep the silicon thingies from my prescription bottles.... use them for just about everything.... including my jerky... anyone else use them for keeping stuff dry? Am I wasting my time?
Click to expand...
 
 
I would only use it for things that don't like to be dehydrated, like Mushrooms, to retain vital nutrition characteristics. You can also buy it in bags, specifically the product Damprid has great results and as long as they don't touch the food, things are safe. You can attain a satisfactory "Cracker dry" via this method. Also, I think the OP could redry his powders/pods the same way, via dessicant.
 
Or do you mean just to keep them dry, and not to be dehydrated? Because I'm wrapping my head around making jerky with dessicant lol
 
I let them dry in a food dehydrator for over a week and they were crispy definitely dried to the max. They are yellow bhut jolokias....
Lol yeah i tried roasting peppers in the oven last year.... It wasnt a very happy ending after all the doors and windows were opened in the middle of summer!
wayright said:
The caking powder can be saved by adding enough water to make it a thick paste then redrying
 
not sure you want to re-dry powder,,especially indoors 
 
:cool:
Kevin
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Exactly what i was thinking.... The peppers just have a very high capsaicin oil content
Scoville DeVille said:
While true in most cases, there are some really oily chiles that are dried but sticky (New Mexico's, Pasilla Anchos, Pasilla Negros, etc). The only way to dry them "cracker crisp" is to roast them in the oven which cooks the oils out. I don't like that. The flavor is in the oils. I use an anti-caking agent made from an organic "rice concentrate". Basically rice powder.
 
It's called Nu-Flow...  http://www.ribus.com/nu-flow
Click to expand...
 
Raw rice can be used the same as the silica packets to pull moisture. You might be able to nurse it dryer with some white rice, not minute rice or any of the par cooked stuff.
 
Islander said:
I let them dry in a food dehydrator for over a week and they were crispy definitely dried to the max. They are yellow bhut jolokias....
Lol yeah i tried roasting peppers in the oven last year.... It wasnt a very happy ending after all the doors and windows were opened in the middle of summer!
Exactly what i was thinking.... The peppers just have a very high capsaicin oil content
Click to expand...
I thought we were talkng a dehydrator...not grilling  :cool:
 
 
one time I didnt get dry enough,,made a paste cookie,,dehydrator again..beautifully reground
 
just keep em dryin,,they will get there! ,,,dont be impatient and turn up tha heat :cool:  you will lose color
 
Kevin 
 
Would baking soda work or would it trash the flavor?
I might need a new dehydrator.... That ones been sitting for a few years without any use. Maybe the fan isnt working right
 
Fanless dehydrators can work fine since heat rises,  they just take longer.
 
I'm not sure if BS would trash the flavor, but I don't think it'd work or it would be commonly cited among nontoxic dessicants, I don't think it has the same kind of pulling power that Rice, Silicon, or other dessicants have.
 
It's true, rice could help too, ultimately I don't think it has the ability to pull as much moisture out as the chemical stuff. But who knows? If that's all you got and it's just powder, sealing a dish of powder in with a couple cups of dry rice might do it :)
 
I just air dry my pods, then finish off in the oven on very low heat for extra crunchiness for a few hours.

Smoking dried pods before turning them into powder adds a great flavor, especially in sauces.
 
the main thing you have to consider when making powder is the humidity of the surroundings...the more humid it is, the longer the dehydrator will have to run...it has taken me 48-56 hours of constant dehydration on 115F to get some pods completely dry..
 
AlabamaJack said:
the main thing you have to consider when making powder is the humidity of the surroundings...the more humid it is, the longer the dehydrator will have to run...it has taken me 48-56 hours of constant dehydration on 115F to get some pods completely dry..
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Agree completely, takes me much longer on some pods like giant Jalapenos and some of the supers. I prefer perfect color over speed :) 
 
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