Moldy pods

CAPCOM

CAPCOM

I have gotten them, I know anyone else who has contact with moderate volumes of pods has also gotten them.
I myself generally toss them without a second thought. anyone else?
 
Are they really not good or just a figment of our imagination. what about volume producers? I am certain they do not go through every pod of the thousands they work with to assure no pods with mold get through. And if they dry them for flake or powder in tact, they would never know, or would you.
 
I could go on and on but this is one of those domino subjects that could get pretty grotesque.
 
 
Thinking small scale producers toss them and dont think twice.  Large scale, well I dont think they even look at the pods.  I think it is all machines.  The bacteria in that mold is killed in the cooking process and then we eat it without ever knowing.  Its gross, but the bulk food industry is kind of gross.  What becomes our corn flakes were once loaded from a parking lot with a front end loader.  Dont get me started on the poultry industry.  It is is absolutely disgusting.  No clue why more people dont get sick.
 
I had a decent surplus of pods and this guy i know with a local BBQ restaurant, he and i decided to have a go at smoking them.  We´ll more than likely F this up and the idea of moldy pods is likely to be moot, as we´ll probably just have a pile of hot ash BUT i did yank all of the stems, in part to make it easier later, but also to give each pod a quick once-over.  I didn´t cut them open to check for mold, but any that were going soft or seemed discolored, I tossed.  Probably between 5 and 10% of the pile...
 
My point is, as i culled the substandard pods, i immediately thought about how the folks who produce the chipotles i buy cheap at the mercado are not likely to be so selective***.  Those things are probably tossed willy-nilly into the pit.  I found the notion a bit unsettling in terms of the cheap chipotles i sauce with at work, but it really helped cool my nerves about my own chile-smokin´ endeavor.
 
This is an interesting topic of convo; thanks for posting it.
-Rob
 
**ps- the fresh chiles I get at the mercado, man; those things can be really dodgy.  Especially the Habs.  I´m starting to develop a sixth sense or some sort of x-ray vision; i just bail on a bag if it seems like too many of the pods are going to be too roached.  I think that pre-packaging fresh peppers in plastic bags gets´m skankier quicker; i guess it helps if they can breathe.  But yeah, commercial producers seem to keep their standards pretty loose. 
 
Exactly the kind of responses I was looking to inspire. And the getting you started in regards to the poultry industry is what I meant by the grotesque domino remark.
 
I cut everything I dry open to aid in the extrication of moisture. It is at that time, pods that appeared to be absolutely fine in every way, revealed a moldy core. It is that moment that brought about this thread. I know for the huge chili industry types, pod weight is $$$ and 10% of the pods they produce that I would find disgusting to ingest is 10% of their profit.
 
 
 
 
 
Not to wander off topic, but i cut every pod i process in half to check for mold, but i left the ones to be smoked intact b/c i thought it´d be more rad that way.  I guess b/c every smoked pod i´ve ever seen was left whole.  Did i mess up already?
 
Bicycle808 said:
Not to wander off topic, but i cut every pod i process in half to check for mold, but i left the ones to be smoked intact b/c i thought it´d be more rad that way.  I guess b/c every smoked pod i´ve ever seen was left whole.  Did i mess up already?
Click to expand...
 

Thats not off topic in any way.
 
I always half and deseed pods no matter what. Its not just my surname meaning to cut in half. I don't like bitter seeds, and I want to see the quality before doing anything. Meanwhile I currently only sell whole pods, but not before I've cut a few open and taste tested a few to make sure they are what I advertised to the buyer.
 
I think what you guys are identifying is the difference between artisan sauce and mass produced sauce.  Same difference between true farm raised chicken and the chicken raised in their own poop like the stuff used for KFC.
 
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