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sun Picking and Drying in the Sun
- Thread starter AjarnV
- Start date
I've never tried it before, but was curious, so Google'd "sun drying" and got a number of results. Some recommend occassionally turning, some don't mention turning at all. I would think it would depend upon your environment - if it's very dry all the time, and the pods are sufficiently raised and have good circulation both above and below, turning is probably less of an issue than in other conditions.
Ajarn, I experimented with this last season and didnt get a great result. Due to the humidity up here as well Im guessing.
One thing that did work, but IS a little time consuming was to make a 'ristra'.
That way the are getting a constant breeze around them and reduced deterioration to nearly zero.
One thing that did work, but IS a little time consuming was to make a 'ristra'.
That way the are getting a constant breeze around them and reduced deterioration to nearly zero.
Here's one way, tho' I didnt decorate it with corn husks
http://www.ehow.com/how_2387491_make-ristra.html
Thanks for your replies. Here's what I'm trying;
It's called a kradong. Just a few pods to see if it works. The rista is a great option if this doesn't work well. It's sunny and hot today, but it is the rainy season, so humidity may compromise the drying.
Cheers.
EDIT: Then there are the natural pests;
That should fix'em!
I don't know if there's a best time of day to pick pods although I believe there is usually more liquid/oil present in super-hots picked during mid-day heat
Chinenses are always difficult to air dry, especially if you have high humidity like I do here in the the fall so I recommend some form of dehydrator. You may also want to cut holes or slits in the pods for easier air flow
Chinenses are always difficult to air dry, especially if you have high humidity like I do here in the the fall so I recommend some form of dehydrator. You may also want to cut holes or slits in the pods for easier air flow
Thats's what I'd have thought. And it's what I've been doing.
Hmm. I was afraid of that.
We're in the rainy season here, but today was 32c and sunny. Some one on another site said that in Mexico the pods are dried out of the sun in a well ventilated room. With our humidity that would never work. I do know the Thai's dry their pods in the sun, but they're not chinense. I'm trying to avoid buying a dehydrator mostly because I wouldn't have a clue about finding a non-commercial one here. I guess I can inquire about that.
Thanks, cheers.
There are many DIY plans on the internet on how to build inexpesive dehydrators. There are even some plans for solar units or ones powered by a light bulb and small fan.
Thai chiles and cayennes are about the only types that ever air dry well for me
As for picking in the heat for oilier pods, I don't know if thats an advanytage or not. If it is actually a hot chile oil then pods may be hotter if this liquid is left within the pod's flesh, but I'm not positive since I've seen sweet peppers with some liquids too
Thai chiles and cayennes are about the only types that ever air dry well for me
As for picking in the heat for oilier pods, I don't know if thats an advanytage or not. If it is actually a hot chile oil then pods may be hotter if this liquid is left within the pod's flesh, but I'm not positive since I've seen sweet peppers with some liquids too
Thanks for your replies. Here's what I'm trying;
It's called a kradong. Just a few pods to see if it works. The rista is a great option if this doesn't work well. It's sunny and hot today, but it is the rainy season, so humidity may compromise the drying.
Cheers.
That's funny I was thinking of starting a similar thread. I've got more pods than I can handle right now so I tried to dry some Fataliis in the sun. I own a dehydrator, but it is so noisy and uses a lot of electricity. I used a small bamboo tray similar to yours and covered it with cheese cloth. The major difference is that I stemmed and sliced the pods in half first. I would recommend doing the same. It ended up taking 4 or 5 days to dry them out enough to store. I expect the flavor to be top notch, but I can only do small quantities and it did take longer than I expected. I'll be sticking with the dehydrator for most harvests.
Regarding the harvest time of day, I harvest almost exclusively in the morning. I find that the plants have the most moisture at this time, and will last longer inside as a result. I'll wait another day if I don't pick before the midday sun.