Dehydrating habanero peppers.....

Here's the deal. Last summer, I had 6 hab plants that produced hundreds of peppers for me. I gave many away to friends, neighbors, co-workers, and even my dad's co-workers. Unlike jalapenos, cayenne, long green, or even arbol chiles (all of which I also grow), habaneros cannot be dried in the same fashion so that you can then later turn them into a powder form. For whatever reason, habaneros turn moldy on the inside if you try to dry them this way. I have tons of frozen ones, but it would be great to have it powder form. I've never even seen powdered form in the stores. Has anyone ever tried drying them out in a dehydrator or even in the grill, oven or smoker? The powdered form would be great for rubs etc. if I could figure out how to make it. I tried several times and our summers are hot and the air is perfect for air drying things like peppers and even jerky, but habs don't work out.

Rob,

Do you split the habs before drying? I've always done that when drying other peppers. How about cold smoking them to dry?

Jim

I have heard and once tried a method that involved a blender, some peppers, a little water, a lined cookie sheet and a 170* oven. Make a paste in the blender with the water and peppers. Seed and de-vein or not I guess depending on how hot you want it. Once it's really smooth, pour it onto the cookie sheet, put in the oven and wait. You might need to leave the door ajar to let the evaporating moisture escape. When it's completely dry, you can break it up and put it in a coffee mill or blender to render it into a fine powder. If you wanted something a little courser then probably not blending it all the way til smooth would work.

Habs dehydrate very well in a dehydrator.
I generally generate about a quart of dehydrated habs evry year.
Purchased my dehydrator at Walmart.
After dehydrating I put them in a food processor to reduce them for use.
The skin becomes a little tough so they don't flake up into fine particles.
If you want them smaller just dump some in a blender.
i use a helf teaspoon in a bowl of chili.
Also add it to home made BBQ sauce.
The flavor remains and I think the heat intensifies.

Rob Armendariz wrote:

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I've never even seen powdered form in the stores.
<snip>

Found some in Albertson's of all places.

Take care,

Derek

My bet is that if you tried to smoke them, they would burn before they dried. They're a similar thickness to the cayenne pepper, and my experiment with smoking those last summer went very badly. Dehydrator would be the way to go.

If you've got a meatier chile like a serrano or jalapeno, they do great in a smoker at 200 degrees for about 6 hours. If they're not completely dry -- as they don't here because of the high humidity -- transfer them to a baking sheet and stick them in your oven for about 2-3 hours at the same 200 degrees.

If you EVER need a place to get rid of your peppers, we'll take 'em. You send them and I'll sending $ for shipping.

Thanks for the recommendations. I'll try splitting them in half this year and maybe try the smoker or invest in a dehydrator.
Freefaller-I'll surely keep you in mind this season. I'll be planting more peppers of some form this year.

Guess I need to try Albertson's. Is the powder on the hot side?

Rob, if you're thinking about a dehydrator, check out this one.

Excalibur http://www.excaliburdehydrator.com/gen1.htm

Before you visit their site, I'll warn you that their dehydrators are more expensive than those you'll find at Walmart. But they are well worth the investment.

I have a Wal-Mart version. Tried it a few times, then put it on the shelf, where it's collecting dust. Now I have 2 Excalibur dehydrators. The smallest one and the largest. Spending a little time on their web site will explain, better than I can, why they are a better value.

Anyway, regardless of which brand you buy, here's a tip. Set your dehydrator up outside, in a protected spot, to dry peppers/chiles. It's an understatement to say the aroma of drying peppers can be a little overpowering. (Don't ask me how I know. )

Longmill