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powder-flake Pepper Powders - The Making and Keeping of

SmokenFire

SmokenFire

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Hello Guys,

I've been growing peppers for the last 5 years or so. At first just jalapenos, Anaheims and Anchos and then gradually spreading out into more (and hotter) varieties. I have come to love the sprouting and growing and watching and subsequent transplanting and waiting for ripening - my friends and family have come to love the results too!

Last year was the first year that my yield outpaced our ability to eat so I began my first experiments with hot sauces and pepper powders. My dehydrator dries peppers nicely and I've been mixing up various blends since the middle of last summer. My questions are as follows:

1. I've read some here that do NOT use pepper seeds in with their powders. Why?

2. How do you store your dehydrated peppers before grinding them into powders?

3. Do you find problems with caking or clumping with your powders? If so what do you do to avoid this?

4. Some here smoke their peppers before grinding. How long is this done and how much is the change in character, appearance and taste/heat level after smoking?

Any/all ideas, opinions and suggestions welcome guys!
 
1. when you cut the peppers in half and dry them most of the seeds are going to fall out,then after handling them more are going to fall out. there really shouldnt be that many left to worry about.

2.in any kind of container

3.sometimes specially here in florida as the moisture is out of control,id rather over dry the peppers even altering there color if i think im going to be storing.but you can add them little moisture control things.

4.this question is hard to answer,i dont find a correct answer because of so many variables.




i would say dry your peppers grind them and put the powder in a old spice container and you will have all the answers you desire.
 
Hi Smoken!
Welcome to tha hood! :cool:

1-- Seeds have no flavor,but it is a real pain to try to remove em all!
The bigger question is how hot you dry your peppers!
If you can stay around 95F,,you can have viable seeds and beautifully colored powder!

2-- I like to grind mine as I dry em! and add them to the glass jar with their name on it!! :)

3--You have to really let em dry!
if you are going at say 95F ,,it takes days,, but as long as you dont up the temp they wont brown.
Let them get very brittle,and save some dessicant packs from your beef jerkys and such!!!

4--As long as you dont scorch em!!!
All is good! different lengths of time and different woods all have their own nuance !

:cool:
Kevin
 
Yup, Yup and Yup!!! ^^^^^

They should be brittle/no flex in them when done drying, smoking adds a lot or a little character depending on how long, how thick the pods and what type of wood you use. If you are just starting to try smoking use thick walled pods like Jals..or even your poblanos. Seeds shmeeds, I only get anal about removing them if I am trying to get a REALLY hot mix or I want more intense color. After smoking however they all turn a little brown. I would start off only smoking them a few hours at the lowest temp you can maintain a good amount of smoke. Then play with it from there. Too much and they'll taste burnt. Good luck.
 
Excellent and thanks much for the input guys!

JoynersHotPeppers said:
Trade secret ;)
Trade secret :dance:
Welcome and good luck.
Click to expand...

I figured I'd get something along these lines from you! 2 out of 4 aint bad though :)

Currently I have the cut and dried peppers in ziplocks and sealed and labeled in an extra food grade bucket. Thus far no troubles, but I wonder how long I can get before their flavor starts to degrade.

For smoking how about this: 225 degrees, 2 hours, peach or cherry? I noticed you have an electric (bradley?) from the other hot food/photo thread but I have a weber smoky mountain. I can maintain temps between 225-250 but I wonder about woods.
 
SmokenFire said:
Hello Guys,

I've been growing peppers for the last 5 years or so. At first just jalapenos, Anaheims and Anchos and then gradually spreading out into more (and hotter) varieties. I have come to love the sprouting and growing and watching and subsequent transplanting and waiting for ripening - my friends and family have come to love the results too!

Last year was the first year that my yield outpaced our ability to eat so I began my first experiments with hot sauces and pepper powders. My dehydrator dries peppers nicely and I've been mixing up various blends since the middle of last summer. My questions are as follows:

1. I've read some here that do NOT use pepper seeds in with their powders. Why?

I grind the seeds up with the peppers if there are any in them. I am usually collecting the seeds for sale and then drying up the peppers for powder, almost as a by product of seed collecting. I think it would mainly be, because seeds don't taste all that good compared to the pepper itself. I haven't seen that the seeds that get ground up change the taste of the product all that much, but I think everyone is different on this.

2. How do you store your dehydrated peppers before grinding them into powders?

I don't store mine. As soon as the peppers come out of the dehydrator, I grind them up at once.

3. Do you find problems with caking or clumping with your powders? If so what do you do to avoid this?

I'm in Florida, but still haven't had a whole lot of problem with clumping. If I had a problem, I would probably use the same indicating desicant that I use to store my seeds and rig up something that would work and not get into the powder. I would bet that after a little time of exposure to the desicant, you should be able to close the container up and not have a problem after that.

4. Some here smoke their peppers before grinding. How long is this done and how much is the change in character, appearance and taste/heat level after smoking?

I haven't ried doing this yet. Tom

Any/all ideas, opinions and suggestions welcome guys!
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for your thoughts pshngo and cycadjungle. It would seem I need to dry my peppers a bit longer before grinding. I'm excited for this year's grow and all the new varieties of peppers I will try :)
 
sicman said:
put the powder in a old spice container
Click to expand...

You really have some messed up ways of doing things in flo rida. Not sure why you'd store powder in here, but whatever works :)

C19243AD-D34B-4D56-89A0-1EB3B06E6A29-62766-0000121DCBC643B6_zps82d536e9.jpg
 
A lot of these, as others have mentioned, are preference. You should dive in(!) and see what works best for you.

[background=rgb(255, 244, 228)]1. I've read some here that do NOT use pepper seeds in with their powders. Why?[/background]

[background=rgb(255, 244, 228)]I try and de-seed as much as I can. I find the seeds to be undesirable in both consistency and flavor (not much, but slightly bitter). Some make it in. No biggie. If you want a more course consistency, it also doesn't leave you with layering (not that shaking the bag won't fix that.[/background]


[background=rgb(255, 244, 228)]2. How do you store your dehydrated peppers before grinding them into powders?[/background]

On the counter top. lol. Seriously, though, mine don't stick around long before they get ground.

[background=rgb(255, 244, 228)]3. Do you find problems with caking or clumping with your powders? If so what do you do to avoid this?[/background]

[background=rgb(255, 244, 228)]Have not had issues after xfering them to plastic baggies. YMMV depending on your humidity. Here, it isn't too bad. Growing up in Houston, it was a fight, much like sicman mentions.[/background]

[background=rgb(255, 244, 228)]4. Some here smoke their peppers before grinding. How long is this done and how much is the change in character, appearance and taste/heat level after smoking?[/background]

I really think it changes the powder flavor greatly. I prefer to smoke, but like to mix it up. I use a stovetop smoker. Inexpensive, easy to store, and imparts smoke flavor VERY quickly. I sometimes smoke as little as half an hour and usually no more than an hour. My smoke flavor is very noticeable, but not overpowering of the chili taste. It almost always darkens the powder, which I think looks especially nice on orange/yellow powder/powder mixes.

Good luck, and have fun!! Powders are one of my favs 'cause they're easy, rewarding, and last a long time.
 
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