Anyone dried chillis in food dehydrator?

Question

I've got a load of habaneros growing and want to dry some. Has anyone tried a food dehydrator before?

I don't want to risk them going mouldy by hanging them as i have nowhere that is warm and has good circulation.

Answer 1

I use a dehydrator all the time. Here is how you dry them.

Peppers of all Kinds and Pimentos

Sweet Peppers: Wash and remove stem and seeds. Cut into 1/2 inch strips or dice.

The texture will be pliable when done. This will take 8 to 12 hours depending on the dehydrator.

Hot Peppers: Wash and slice in 1/4" x 1" pieces and dry until crisp. Crush or grind if desired.

Temperature to start to dry at is 140 degrees F. (60 degrees C.) after 3 hours turn down to 130 degrees F. (55 degrees C.) and continue drying until done.

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Re hydrated in cold water, the raw peppers have nice color and the flavor is good enough to use in dishes that use uncooked peppers such as the raw salsa that some people like. Not quite as crisp as fresh.

Cooked in a casserole, soup or stew, I don't think you'd be able to tell the difference between fresh peppers and dehydrated peppers.

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I would dry them in the dehydrator outdoors also. Habaneros are real strong and can really be strong smelling at the beginning of drying. They powder real well when dried also. You can add the powdered pepper to allot of stuff. You can also smoke them a bit before drying too that gives them a nice smoky heat.

Darlene  

Answer 2

I just run thread through the stems and hang them on the curtain rods in my kitchen for a couple months.