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seeds Seed & Preservation Question

C

chefben4

Now that my plants are starting to produce a lot of fruit Im starting to think of the "end game". I was hoping to dry a lot of my superhots for seasoning. Is this best done in a dehydrator? Also do you remove seed before drying or should that be part of the spice?

The other question I have is preserving seeds for next season. This is my first year growing and my bhuts and trinidad scorpions are doing GREAT. Id love to be able to share with other members and save some for next season. Any tips on preserving the seeds for next grow season. Do I just take them out let them dry and put them in a cool place?

any help would be great.
 
Yeah, a dehydrator is best for drying. Any seeds to be saved are removed before using the dehydrator and the rest are left with the seeds in. They will dry the quickest if you cut the chilies in half lengthwise, but a few slits in a whole pod will dry quick enough and allow more pods per tray.

I scatter removed seeds on a paper plate, write the type on the plate and let them dry at room temp.
 
Silver_Surfer said:
Yeah, a dehydrator is best for drying. Any seeds to be saved are removed before using the dehydrator and the rest are left with the seeds in. They will dry the quickest if you cut the chilies in half lengthwise, but a few slits in a whole pod will dry quick enough and allow more pods per tray.

I scatter removed seeds on a paper plate, write the type on the plate and let them dry at room temp.
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+1 exactly
 
Be real careful when grinding chile's, get your self a painters mask makes it a whole nicer and be sure to grind outside or you or anyone won't be-able to breath inside.
 
I always remove the seeds as they are not the source of the pungency (capsaicinoids) as most people think, I remove the placenta and the seeds then dehydrate the pods then grind in a coffee grinder. As far as saving seed goes, I just place them on a paper towel to dry and then place in a paper seed envelope or whatever is available. One caveat though with saving seed is that you have to be careful with your expectations the following year in that the seed you saved may have been produced via an "outcrossing" event if you did nothing to prevent it...such as covering the flower bud before it opens or isolate the plant from other species of peppers. Not that big of a deal as long as you have the right expectations going into the next season.
 
Im just getting into it TMP, so "outcrossing" isn't too too bothersome to me just yet. Looks like im going to have a pretty good crop so Im hoping to share the seeds to some forum members if any want any. Ill be sure to let them know they may not be "pure".

HawaiiAl thanks for the tip. Kind of funny you mentioned it. I am big into making different kinds of salami and sausage and have run into some problems when I added the dehydrated habeneros. I learned REAL quick that a painters mask helps tremendously. Considering Im a health and safety engineer I should know these things :onfire:
 
i dried and ground my first harvest of bhut jolokias in my basement last year...no mask, no open windows. Needless to say I won't ever do that again. It was like getting sprayed with pepper spray.
 
Hot Pooper said:
Neil told me to put the seeds in a regular paper envelope. I have baggies and envelopes, so either way, its all good.
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Baggies can be a bad choice, especially if the seeds aren't 100% dry, because plastic can cause condensation if there is a large swing in temperatures. That's why paper envelopes are considered best.
 
I dehydrate and use the seeds that dry,Just be sure to dry them at 95F . The low temp keeps the seed viable and helps retain the color of the pod!
Kevin
 
I dry my pods with the seeds in even if i want to use those seeds for growing. Under about 45 celcius and you won't roast the seeds.

I grind powder with the seeds too, add to the over-all mass! :D Of course if i was grinding anything but superhots i would remove the seed probably.
 
Siling labuyo, i dont really recommend sun drying seeds in our country for seed saving. I just dry peppers near the window where it's not too hot but hot enough so it dries nicely. Takes me about a day or two. Then i bag em in ziplocks. =)
 
Drying times vary by where you are. I live in an area with pretty high humidity in the summer, so I airdry them on a paper towel for about 2 weeks to ensure they are dry when I store them. I store bulk seed in baby food jars. My daughter ate a lot of that, so I have literally hundreds of jars in the cabinets waiting to be filled.

jacob
 
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