preservation Powder vs. Dried Pods

AJ Drew

AJ Drew

Seems like there are more folk offering pepper powder than dried pods.  My thinking is that the smaller the piece the larger the total surface area, so powders would oxidize faster than whole pods.  Kind of the difference between grinding your own black pepper and buying the stuff as a powder, grinding your own coffee beans, and so on.  The fresher stuff is ground as needed.

So why does it seem powdered peppers are more popular than dried pods?
 
theoretically, the oxidation rates would be very similar, as long as everything is in an air tight container. If you think about it, if you have a jar of dried pods vs a jar of ground pods, there's actually more air contact with the whole pods because of the nooks and crannied rather than just the surface of the ground pods. Either way, open up a jar and tell me you don't smell anything. Maybe if you leave it open for a month, but still. 
 
I keep my dried pods whole until I need a powder, than I pull what I need and grind it up for that day. To be honest probably more out of laziness, as I really don't want to spend an entire day grinding and sneezing just to have it on hand.
 
ajdrew said:
Seems like there are more folk offering pepper powder than dried pods. 
Click to expand...
 
Sellers tend to only offer what buyers will buy, which just makes sense - why sell something that only few will buy? As basically already noted above, there are fewer people in this country who are willing and have the equipment or tolerance to grind their own.  I personally keep my dried pods as-is so I have more options with them. I can rehydrate and chop up to use in various food or also powder as the need arises. But I have the equipment and I'm not selling, which makes a big difference.
 
geeme, I agree.  It just seems odd.  Most of the peppers we are talking about are relative rare on the open market.  They are like the gourmet coffee that you can only get at certain stores.  Pepper lovers are so dedicated to their peppers, I would figure they would be more often like people dedicated to gourmet coffee.

BTW: I do grind occasionally, but for the most part when I cook I just crumble a pod and then let the simmering distribute the oils.  The result was having to buy a second coffee grinder after my wife got a "hot" cup of coffee.  Wooops
 
Powders are ready to use and use up less space for shipping. The others have mentioned some good reasons, but let me add something nobody has mentioned yet, but it may offend some people. I'm sure every state is different, but I would bet this is more of a common rule. The bottom line is, if you cut a pepper in half, like many do with dried peppers, it is illegal to sell them unless they are prepared in a certified kitchen. There is an exception for dried herbs and seasonings, which includes pepper powder. In Florida we have a cottage industry law that provides for this, but there are still restrictions.
Still, powders do break down and fresh grinding is fresher and better tasting if you are picky about your cooking. An easy way to do this is cut your pepper in thinner strips and then dry those out. For color on the table, you could get an acrylic pepper grinder and put the steps in there and use that to make fresh powder. Mix different colored peppers and not only did it look nice, but each time you grind, the mix might be sightly different.
 
cycadjungle, well now I am confused.  The step before grinding is to dry them.  So how would powders somehow be exempt from health law that pods are not?  Anyway, here in KY there are similiar cottage laws but they fly out the window the moment you cross a state line, sell wholesale, or sell from anyplace not designated for the program.

I -believe- powders and dried foods are the same as hot sauce in that they must be made and packaged in a commercial kitchen to be included in interstate commerce.  Oddly, the health codes -seem- to be controlled by each individual state.  But I would be willing to bet that if a state has an exemption, it would not apply to something that is processed like powders.

Excellent topic btw.  Gonna bug my extension office person on this one for my state.

Luckydog, if you are in here please chime in.  I know you are in multiple states. 
 
Ajdrew, I agree! You probably already know this but I have had a certified plant nursery for 29. I get inspected multiple times a year, am specially certified for certain states that require nematode certifications, and then, I deal with endangered species of plants which requires CITES permits and overseen by federal fish and wildlife. So, bottom line, I deal with a lot of requirements.
So, farming and working with peppers. I had to ask more than once just to make sure I had it right.
There is nobody that inspects the pepper plants and what I pick. Nobody wants to know what poisons I use to grow peppers. (I don't use any, but just saying) If I was organic certified, then you get inspected. So fresh peppers, no restrictions. Cut a pepper in half for whatever reason, can't do that. Dry them, doesn't matter. Grind them into powder, I can sell them again, but with circumstances. Can't ship powders. They must be delivered or picked up at my location, or I can sell them in other locations, as long as I am there, like flea markets or pepper festivals. Can't sell to restaurants. They have to have a special label explaining they are cottage industry. You can't sell more than $15,000 worth in a year. I figured if I sell $15k worth in a year, I can build a structure out back and have my own certified kitchen. Sort of a pain, but I sell out of all the peppers and powder I can make each year.
 
ajd- this is one of those things you need to talk to your local AHJ about.  Cycade~ is all up on what is required for his situation and his state.  There are different regs for selling locally and selling across state lines.  Those same parameters apply to hot sauce makers also.  Makers can sell only in their state and be totaly legal under local regulations.  The instant they make an internet sale to an out-of-state address, they fall under a whole different regulation and could be illegal.   
 
It's like you were talking about drying the whole pod vs cutting in half.  Talk to your local peeps, they are the ones who will be issuing the citations or fines if you are not doing it correctly.  And regulations vary so much....just find out who is the regulator (AHJ) for the market you want, do what they say~
 
Cycadjungle - Your cottage laws sound like ours in KY excerpt I do not have to be there. Farmers Market, Off the Farm, and Certified Road side stands for processed foods.  We have two categories.  Oddly, powders fall into the stricter category.  Kind of odd but I figure there is reason.

SalsaLady - Been there, done that. Is why I was sharing that I am fairly sure powders are considered processed foods and need a commercial kitchen.  That is the way it is here.  If you want to sell powders outside of the cottage exemptions, you need a full commercial kitchen.  Is why I do not sell powders.

 
 
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