# Drying peppers for grinding



## Mrs. Mucket (Apr 22, 2010)

I have poblano chiles that I'd like to end up grinding. I've air-dried them before, but while I have the dehydrator out I thought about using it for some chiles. Has anyone here done this? As wholes/halves/strips? Will a paste from the food processor grind up after dehydrating?


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## Packedready (Mar 29, 2011)

I lad peppers out on a towel on a table and they dried perfectly, I also have used thin string and tied them up, they came out perfect both ways. I have never ground them, what do you use to grind them?


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## lemonthyme7 (Jul 8, 2010)

I pulled my plants and rinsed off the roots and stripped all the leaves off leaving only the peppers. I hang them upside down to dry. I have purple cayenne's this year. I have done this before with other peppers. I find the riper peppers to dry better. I am worried that some of mine wont't dry properly this year because they haven't turned red yet.
I have a pint jar of hot pepper powder and I use that all year. Every year I dry whatever hot pepper I grew that year and add it into the jar with what's left from the year before (usually at least 3/4 cup) Sometimes it is just one kind like this year and some years I have several kinds. It makes a well rounded interesting hot pepper powder. I powder mine in my Vita Mix but you could use a regular blender. Just don't inhale that powder and let it settle before you take the lid off! I have used the dehydrator before for smaller amounts of peppers but if I can dry them without using electricity I try that first. Some year I'm going to try smoking a few as I'd really like to try that.


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

In fact, just did some for a friend this morning. I use my dehydrator (window open), put in 1/4 inch strips and when they are really dry, put them into a small coffee grinder, put a baggie over the ginder and pulse away. The baggie keep the pepper from assaulting me while they are ground. 
I dehydrate everything from hot to sweet, big to small but usually only grind them just before I use them. But it is easier to do it all at once.


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## Mrs. Mucket (Apr 22, 2010)

Packedready, I have a mortar and pestle but I was hoping I could use the food processor or blender. Sounds like it works, Lemonthyme!

None of my chiles or bell peppers have turned red either. Our season started late this year and I've had to harvest them before frost, but I was hoping some would ripen more in the house. The tomatoes are ripening fine.


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## lemonthyme7 (Jul 8, 2010)

Mrs. Mucket said:


> Packedready, I have a mortar and pestle but I was hoping I could use the food processor or blender. Sounds like it works, Lemonthyme!
> 
> None of my chiles or bell peppers have turned red either. Our season started late this year and I've had to harvest them before frost, but I was hoping some would ripen more in the house. The tomatoes are ripening fine.


Yours may still ripen in the house. I noticed today that a lot of the one's I have hung to dry are now turning red so I have hope!


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## alva (Sep 24, 2011)

I use a coffee grinder to grind peppers.
It works great


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## Guest (Oct 26, 2011)

I've used a dehydrator to dry jalapeno chipotles for grinding and it worked well.

But do it OUTSIDE. Poblanos may not cause the same problem, but I can say that jalapenos can run everyone out of the house when they get down to that last little bit of moisture.

And if you use a food processor to grind with like I did then do that OUTSIDE and in a breeze as well.


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## mitchell3006 (Apr 1, 2010)

Alan, you miss half the fun! Japs do a great job of opening everyone in the house's sinuses.:yuck: The sneezing and snorting are what it's all about.:rock: Then I get the joy of the mini-chopper and the cloud of powder that leaks out. Better than pepper spray. It will clean your head right out.:gaptooth:


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

I smoked them and then dehydrated. Ground them in a tiny food chopper. Yup,cleared out the sinus.


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

My previous post mentioned grinding inside a plastic bag. Works great to keep the dust confined. Only the cord needs to be out, buttson can be pressed from outside the bag.


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## oldasrocks (Oct 27, 2006)

We dehydrate them and put the dried peppers in a blender to grind them to powder. DON"T take the lid off right away-let the dust settle. Then store the powder in plastic jars for cooking.


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## Pelenaka (Jul 27, 2007)

Was the grinder such as a blender a dedicated one ? 

Reason I ask is I would need to barrow a blender. Last night while I was hunting around for a jar of rye berries to grind I found a half gallon Ball jar of dehydrated hot peppers hubby grew. Powdered they are more apt to be used. 


~~ pelenaka ~~


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## Guest (Oct 26, 2011)

mitchell3006 said:


> Alan, you miss half the fun! Japs do a great job of opening everyone in the house's sinuses.:yuck: The sneezing and snorting are what it's all about.:rock: Then I get the joy of the mini-chopper and the cloud of powder that leaks out. Better than pepper spray. It will clean your head right out.:gaptooth:


 I'm sorry to say I had the joy of ALL of it.

Good judgement often comes of having made bad decisions.

Homemade chipotles are great. But I'll never dry or grind them inside the house again!


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## Kmac15 (May 19, 2007)

We string and air dry the very ripe one, as in turned color. I do put the still green ones in the dehydrator and then string them. To grind up I use a dedicated coffee mill. I don't like to grind mine ahead of time, I grind them up as I need them.


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

My coffee grinder is used for herbs too. Since the peppers are dry, I just wipe out with a damp cloth. BTW this is a coffee grinder, not a coffee mill. I don't think you could get the residue out of a mill.


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## HilltopDaisy (Feb 26, 2003)

Check your blender ~ many of them are the same size as a small mouth canning jar; you can forgo the blender jar entirely and simply use a quart canning jar in it's place. I remember how thrilled I was when I first found out!! Take the screw on/bottom assembly and attach it to your canning jar; voila!


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