What to do with pepper powders?

[KarenO]

Originally Posted by biscgolf

I sell ghost pepper powder to one of the bakers at one of my farmer's markets- she uses it in chocolate chip cookies.

Hmm now Thats a good idea.... I have had dark chocolate with hot pepper and it was amazing. Also candied nuts with cayenne in the sugar glaze coating. Peanut brittle with a twist perhaps... Excellent idea, thanks!!
Karen

[biscgolf]

i have had ghost pepper peanut brittle and it was fantastic.

[Fred Hempel]

I am using pepper powder to keep a skunk from digging into my chicken coop.

[tam91]

I think Hot Lemon and Lemon Drop are the same. And I have a bunch of them.

I made a lovely pepper jelly from them, but I'd like to dry the rest and try making powder.

How do make the powder? Can I use my dehydrator? Whole? Cut them up? Remove seeds?

Thanks!

[drew51]

Originally Posted by tam91

I think Hot Lemon and Lemon Drop are the same. And I have a bunch of them.

Originally Posted by tam91

I made a lovely pepper jelly from them, but I'd like to dry the rest and try making powder.

How do make the powder? Can I use my dehydrator? Whole? Cut them up? Remove seeds?

Thanks!

Yes, you can use your dehydrator, and any and all of the above.
At first I cut them, but then the plant really started producing. Like 60 or so, so I dried the seeds. I just cut the top off. Dried some whole also. When drying whole you want them almost dry, not completely brittle. At least this is what I saw in recipes, in some tex-mex recipes it was noted if whole peppers are completely dry, throw them away.
I also froze some as the plant produced well over 100 peppers. Amazing! I made two different hot sauces too. My only complaint is the pepper loses heat when cooked. Whereas cayenne does not, well the ones I grew anyway. So if using for heat and not flavor, add powder after cooking.

[Father'sDaughter]

Originally Posted by tam91

I think Hot Lemon and Lemon Drop are the same. And I have a bunch of them.

I made a lovely pepper jelly from them, but I'd like to dry the rest and try making powder.

How do make the powder? Can I use my dehydrator? Whole? Cut them up? Remove seeds?

Thanks!

I dry small hot peppers whole -- stem, seeds and all -- in the dehydrator. If I'm not going to grind them right away, I let them go until dry, but short of brittle, then store them in an air tight container in a cool, dry place.

When I'm ready to grind them, I put them back in the dehydrator until brittle, break off the stem, shake out any loose seeds (but many still remain in the peppers), and use a coffee/spice grinder to pulverize them. If I'm going for pepper flakes, I stop there. If I'm going for powder, I sift it through a fine mesh strainer, re-grind what's left and sift it again.

I read that they retain more flavor and heat if left whole until needed, but I have a small bottle of red cayenne flakes that's now two years old and still has more flavor and heat than anything I've ever bought in the spice aisle of my grocery store. I use this method only because I can wait until all the peppers have been harvested to do the final grinding step.

[b54red]

My only real problem with grinding the dried peppers is they usually clump very badly over time no matter how dry the peppers were when ground. I have a hard time digging them out of the glass jars I store them in. I love having the variety of different chili pepper powders when I make almost any Mexican food but I sure get irritated trying to dig the spices out. I'm sure it is just our very high humidity even though they are kept in airtight jars.

Bill

[AlittleSalt]

I have dried my chilies with an electric pizza oven (A large deep toaster oven) on the first really cold day or night of the season. Hours of low temperature drying fills the air with wonderful peppery scent and it helps a little with heating the house.

We dry all kinds of peppers...hot and sweet, and sometimes mixing them. Banana peppers (Sweet) actually make a really good tasting chili powder for soups and stews when we're feeding family who cannot eat hot peppers.

What I would like to try in November and December this year is drying peppers using a heavy metal barrel smoker with indirect heat using oak for some, pecan, and mesquite for others. I wish we could use juniper wood, but I've read there are dangerous pathogens in Juniper (Or what we call Cedar).

There are a lot of ways to make dried peppers. Enjoy them all.

[Father'sDaughter]

Originally Posted by b54red

My only real problem with grinding the dried peppers is they usually clump very badly over time no matter how dry the peppers were when ground. I have a hard time digging them out of the glass jars I store them in. I love having the variety of different chili pepper powders when I make almost any Mexican food but I sure get irritated trying to dig the spices out. I'm sure it is just our very high humidity even though they are kept in airtight jars.



Bill

If the mouth of the jar is large enough to get it in and out easily, have you considered adding a desiccant packet from either a medication or vitamin bottle?

[Tania]

We use it as meat rub, and to spice up omelettes.
It also goes into curries, which is our regular 'winter' food.

Tatiana

[FarmerShawn]

Originally Posted by b54red

My only real problem with grinding the dried peppers is they usually clump very badly over time no matter how dry the peppers were when ground. I have a hard time digging them out of the glass jars I store them in. I love having the variety of different chili pepper powders when I make almost any Mexican food but I sure get irritated trying to dig the spices out. I'm sure it is just our very high humidity even though they are kept in airtight jars.

Bill

I had the same problem with clumping, but I know my powders were dry, and the little jars I kept them in were airtight. Because the clumping was worst with the ripe red powders, especially with Jimmy Nardello powder, and almost nonexistent with green pepper power, I concluded it was not humidity that caused the problem, but sugar content. Like brown sugar clumps easily.
Shawn

[b54red]

Originally Posted by FarmerShawn

I had the same problem with clumping, but I know my powders were dry, and the little jars I kept them in were airtight. Because the clumping was worst with the ripe red powders, especially with Jimmy Nardello powder, and almost nonexistent with green pepper power, I concluded it was not humidity that caused the problem, but sugar content. Like brown sugar clumps easily.
Shawn

I didn't even think of that but all the powders I use are red so that may just be the problem. I know mine were very dry and the jars airtight.

Bill

[Keiththibodeaux]

Experiment with mixing them together in varying amounts to create unique flavors. Never ending fun.

[Got Worms?]

Hot pepper powder...meet Chocolate Pudding!

[Worth1]

Hot pepper powder in hot chocolate.
Worth