dehydrating and using hot peppers?

[kaybee]

I picked about a half bushel of hot peppers out of my dads garden. some will go to the farmers market, but i was wondering about drying the rest in my excalibur....how to do this? also, uses? im trying to get into using hot pepper medicinally too, to treat health problems. would love to use large amounts of this stuff, but blllleeeecccchhhh. burns. anyway, whats best way to dehydrate?

thanks

kb

[sport]

Are they chilli peppers.
I generally just let them sit on a sunny window and they dry naturally. It takes a few weeks but they dry perfectly.

[aililiu]

i got a bunch of fresh cayennes...
i dehydrated some but found i like them better fresh..
i put 1/4 - 1/3 in my morning smoothie.
BURNS!
but its good on those frosty mornings.
and it helps my circulation
and immune system!

[kaybee]

yeah, they are a couple different varieties of chili/cayenne peppers. i didnt think of that--i bet they would just dry naturally... i was worried about sticking them in the dehydrator because i didnt know if it would disperse the "hot" components into the air because of the fan... just figured it was a quick way of drying them though, cuz im moving again soon ...

k

[Essensual]

Are they chilli peppers.
I generally just let them sit on a sunny window and they dry naturally. It takes a few weeks but they dry perfectly.
Sport,
When drying them in a window, do you ever have issues with molding or insects??

[sport]

Sport,
When drying them in a window, do you ever have issues with molding or insects??

NO. I think that I did this by accident the first time because all I intended to do was change them from green to red but I forgot about them and they dried perfectly. They looked just like the dried chillies that you would buy so I always do it now. No insects or no mould (and I do not live on the hottest place on the plannet). You could wrap them in cheesecloth if you are worried about insects.

[trinity082482]

I hang dry as well. It takes longer to wait but it works really well and it's free! You don't have to run the dehydrator just to dry them out. Tie them up nice and pretty and hang in your kitchen. I don't even hang him in direct light and they dry up nicely.

[Glow Worm]

hi kaybee,

i just got done drying two trays worth of hot peppers in my excalibur dehydrator. i cut them in half or fourths and lay on the mesh sheet and set the temp at 105. it takes about 2 days. then i store in a dry, ziplock bag. one of these days i'm going to put them all in my vitamix and make a kickass hot spice blend.
i've had other things drying in there and not had a problem with mixing of flavors. the peppers made the house smell good, and i did not have a problem with "heat" in the house atmosphere bothering my nose.

[Essensual]

Thank you to all for the feedback.

...cheesecloth...now why didn't I think of that??:cool: