What to do with 4 pounds of thick green cayennes

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So we had a frost last night, a big one. -4.8C.  So all the plants out doors are done for.  I have a metric truckload (well large shopping bag) full of green cayennes and a few serranos and birds eyes that would have been a few days to a week away from turning red at most.  Any ideas what I should do with them?  My original plan was that there would be no frost, I would get them red and then cold smoke them into a powder.  Is this still a goer or should I ferment them instead? Not sure green powder will be that exciting is all. 
 
All suggestions appreciated.  
 
I'd probably dry the whole pods and use them [along with other dried pods] to make decorative arrangements. I'm not too confident I'd like unripe cayennes, and I know I like decorative dried peppers :)
 
*Sorry to hear about your plants! 
 
Roast peel and then dry, that's new to me, thanks for this Rob! Would you still consider smoking them as well or is that going to make bad worse?  
 
I know, so close Zip. They were always going to be close and the plants sacrificial, this was my last season of 'grab a plant at a nursery' but still so freakin close…  
 
 
 
 
RobStar said:
Roast, peel and then dry them.  A version of chile pasado.  Here's how to do it: http://www.food.com/recipe/chile-pasado-249474
 
It's quite a bit of work but weel-worth it.
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Spicy Mushroom said:
I'd probably dry the whole pods and use them [along with other dried pods] to make decorative arrangements. I'm not too confident I'd like unripe cayennes, and I know I like decorative dried peppers :)
 
*Sorry to hear about your plants! 
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I'd say hot smoke them - very hot with minimal smoke - basically a hot fire that is 95 burnt out but there are still little stubs left and the coals are raging hot.  It will still produce a bit of smoke - or you can throw some chips on and increase the smoke a bit (not too much otherwise it gets a bit sulphurous).  You want that skin charred and blistered but not the flesh.
 
Then just chuck them in a plastic bag to sweat and that skin slips off like a negligee ;)
 
The smoke would be a nice addition and if you freeze them after drying you should have a stash that'll last you quite some time.  I love using it in stews or slow-cooked casseroles of oxtail or beef short ribs (with beans!).  Heck i'm sure if you dry it good you'll be able to powder it as well - how bad can it be?
 
At the end of the day I'll process them, certainly not going to toss them that's for sure! 
 
Do you still end up with sulphur flavours if you cold smoke?
 
The sulphurous taste arrises when the smoke is too thick - yellowish thick smoke id a sure-fire indicator that they will have that sulphur taste.  Try using a light wood - apple is really good but I have found oak to be really good too.  We often use oak chips from barrels that were first used for sherry then brandy maturation.
 
Mesquite is a heavy smoke and one that I avoid with chile.
 
The trick is light smoking.  Cold smoking with thick smoke would also produce the sulphur taste. 
 
I like hot roasting/charring for green chile as it improves the flavour and texture.  A green beel raw compared to roasted and peeled - there's no comparison!  They become sweeter and the flavour pronounces - that unique green chile flavour (imo best tasted in a Poblano) that is so sought after.
 
You could roast them over open flame to charr and blister the skin.  Then sweat them in a bag.  Peel them.  Air dry for a few hours so that they are easier to handle (not limp and sticky) and then cold smoke them.  Dang!  I'm tasting it already!  You could take some of those and chuck em in olive oil and keep in fridge.  Use on antipati/mezze platter with some cured meats and cheeses.  Lunchtime!  Off to the kitchen I go.
 
Now that sounds delicious.  cold smoking without the skins, it would lap it up.  Cherry wood was what I had in mind, but I also have a peach/apricot/apple/cherry wood blend that could work nicely too.  
 
 
 
RobStar said:
 
You could roast them over open flame to charr and blister the skin.  Then sweat them in a bag.  Peel them.  Air dry for a few hours so that they are easier to handle (not limp and sticky) and then cold smoke them.  Dang!  I'm tasting it already!  You could take some of those and chuck em in olive oil and keep in fridge.  Use on antipati/mezze platter with some cured meats and cheeses.  Lunchtime!  Off to the kitchen I go.
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that's a bummer,  i know i'm gonna roast peel and bag when i'm ready to start saving some of my garden.  
 
you could make a matbucha too!!!  i may make some of that too 
 
When this same thing happened to me a few years back, I canned them sweet-pickle style. They turned out to be a lot better than I thought they would be.
 
If nothing else,air dry them (some may ripen) and use in a mix of different other ripe peppers at seasons end (IF you don't care for the taste of them green).
If you like the taste of the air dried pods,you can still smoke dry pods.
When I have a LOT of pods (most times Manzanos) at seasons end,I dry a lot of them because running my smoker takes more time than all my plants need to ripen more pods.
Especially Pubes,they have a window where they are green or over ripe.
I cold smoke dry most of my Manzano pods.
BUT when you get a lot of thick fleshed pods all ripe at once,you dry them or smoke them as soon as they are picked or they loose the taste.
Freezing them helps but 200lbs +/- of pods fills my smokers and freezers fast.
My seeds from market pod growouts kick out the pods.
2 plants were giving me about 40-60 pods a day (depending on the year).
Heat shuts down Pube bud set REAL fast.
Spring and fall Rock though.
Kinda like Baccatums.
 
I also usually try and do the smoke like it was meant to be.
Burn wood to coals and add to the firebox,use very little wood chips if any (if I have the time etc.)
Makes for a longer smoke BUT tastes way better INn my opinion.
Coals add the taste without the creosote and other stuff from chips or chunks.
Uses more wood,but you get a better product in the long run.
 
Dry pods are as good as fresh smoked pods after grinding or whatever.
I'd at least see if a majority of the pods will shelf ripen.
Just don't keep them all in I container or it'll be too humid-mold etc.
 
I know several people who have perfected a Dehydrator cheat for smoked tasting powders.
They dry the pods in a dehydrator,then spritz them with a water/liquid smoke mix.
Then back to the dehydrator.
These guys sell a LOT of LBS. of powders and smoked pods that people rave about.
Most do smoke their stuff in general,but when they have more orders than they can smoke ,or more pods than they can smoke,the do what keeps food on the table and Baby always needs new shoes. LOL
 
Looks like I am too.  There are enough for a ferment as well, so the results for me are roasted verde sauce and a ferment to ultimately make a fermented verde sauce.
 
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