best way to dry peppers?

tjg911 · September 5, 2009

i want to ask about drying vs freezing cayenne pappers.

if i tie them up and let them dry in the house what is better, put them in the sun to dry or a pantry with no light and no window?

is the north side of the house in an enclosed porch better? i suspect the humidity at night or rain is not good and would cause them to mold or rot.

so i'd think that inside is better. i have a lot of sun in windows all day. would placing them in full sun on a window sill dry them out too fast? it gets real hot with windows shut, blinds down.

never did this so i'd appreciate some advice by those that dry peppers.

thanks,

tom

korney19 · September 5, 2009

Even better is in a gas oven with just the pilot light on if you have an old one. This is free heat. I'd stick them in and in a day or two they are dry.

Of course, I ended up getting a new gas range this past winter and can't do this, though it does have a warming drawer in the bottom.

I would go with the window & sunlight.

Saffy PM'd you too...

Blueaussi · September 5, 2009

Cayennes are pretty thin skinned, so it's easy to hang dry them. They make pretty ristas, too. I'd put them in the sun so they'd dry quickly.

montanamato · September 5, 2009

I dry peppers in the kitchen in colanders...turn them over and mix them up a couple pf times when you walk by....Or you may have to place them in a single layer in the sun, depending on your humidity....ours is 6% now and rarely breaks 15.....

Jeanne

tjg911 · September 5, 2009

don't have a gas range mark.

6% humidity! even when it's 20 below zero which is not too often but it is sometimes, it's not in the single digits! the driest i ever saw was around 25%. typically a dry, real dry day here, not in winter is 35-40% and that IS low humidity!

i have a lot of sun if the sun is out. i could put them outside on the deck, i just thought inside was better cause i don't have to worry about rain or bugs or forget to take them in at night.

i'm drying 2 between the window and the blinds now. i'll try outside too. freezing is so much easier just pop them into a freezer bag, done. there must be a reason people take the time to dry them?

tom

mjc · September 5, 2009

Yeah...crushed red pepper flakes...

Before I got my dehydrator, I would thread them on a string and hand them up on my enclosed back porch. Now...just pop them in the dehydrator and don't worry about how long it takes.

WH_Conley · September 6, 2009

I just pull up the plant at the ens of the season and hang them up side down in the shed or garage. When ever I want some ground, just go get a plant and pick.

September 5, 2009	#1
tjg911 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: zone 5b northwest connecticut Posts: 2,570	best way to dry peppers? i want to ask about drying vs freezing cayenne pappers. if i tie them up and let them dry in the house what is better, put them in the sun to dry or a pantry with no light and no window? is the north side of the house in an enclosed porch better? i suspect the humidity at night or rain is not good and would cause them to mold or rot. so i'd think that inside is better. i have a lot of sun in windows all day. would placing them in full sun on a window sill dry them out too fast? it gets real hot with windows shut, blinds down. never did this so i'd appreciate some advice by those that dry peppers. thanks, tom __________________ I need a hero I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the end of the night He’s gotta be strong And he’s gotta be fast And he’s gotta be fresh from the fight I need a hero I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the morning light He’s gotta be sure And it’s gotta be soon And he’s gotta be larger than life

September 5, 2009	#5
tjg911 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: zone 5b northwest connecticut Posts: 2,570	don't have a gas range mark. 6% humidity! even when it's 20 below zero which is not too often but it is sometimes, it's not in the single digits! the driest i ever saw was around 25%. typically a dry, real dry day here, not in winter is 35-40% and that IS low humidity! i have a lot of sun if the sun is out. i could put them outside on the deck, i just thought inside was better cause i don't have to worry about rain or bugs or forget to take them in at night. i'm drying 2 between the window and the blinds now. i'll try outside too. freezing is so much easier just pop them into a freezer bag, done. there must be a reason people take the time to dry them? tom __________________ I need a hero I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the end of the night He’s gotta be strong And he’s gotta be fast And he’s gotta be fresh from the fight I need a hero I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the morning light He’s gotta be sure And it’s gotta be soon And he’s gotta be larger than life

September 5, 2009	#2
korney19 Buffalo-Niagara Tomato TasteFest™ Co-Founder Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: The Niagara Frontier Posts: 942	Even better is in a gas oven with just the pilot light on if you have an old one. This is free heat. I'd stick them in and in a day or two they are dry. Of course, I ended up getting a new gas range this past winter and can't do this, though it does have a warming drawer in the bottom. I would go with the window & sunlight. Saffy PM'd you too...

September 5, 2009	#3
Blueaussi Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: South Carolina Zone 8a Posts: 1,205	Cayennes are pretty thin skinned, so it's easy to hang dry them. They make pretty ristas, too. I'd put them in the sun so they'd dry quickly.

September 5, 2009	#4
montanamato Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Montana Posts: 1,038	I dry peppers in the kitchen in colanders...turn them over and mix them up a couple pf times when you walk by....Or you may have to place them in a single layer in the sun, depending on your humidity....ours is 6% now and rarely breaks 15..... Jeanne

September 5, 2009	#6
mjc Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: WV Posts: 603	Yeah...crushed red pepper flakes... Before I got my dehydrator, I would thread them on a string and hand them up on my enclosed back porch. Now...just pop them in the dehydrator and don't worry about how long it takes.

September 6, 2009	#7
WH_Conley Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Camp Dix, KY Posts: 39	I just pull up the plant at the ens of the season and hang them up side down in the shed or garage. When ever I want some ground, just go get a plant and pick.