When should I harvest poblano peppers in order to dry them for making ancho peppers for chili powder?

Question

we have some poblano peppers that are looking pretty tasty, but I would like to make them into chili powder. When is the best time to harvest them? While green or will they turn red? Thanks.

Answer 1

Pablanos have very little heat at all..I grow them along with 8 other variety of peppers..I dry mine on the "ristra" method by taking a sewing needle and threading some 8 pound fishing line on it then I thread them on the line and hang to dry.. Do not dry in direct sun, and do not dry indoors if you do not have good air flow in the room..I dry all my peppers outside under my aluminum hurricane shutter where they get warmth to dry, good air flow, and no direct sun hits them..Below are a couple of pictures..I have cayenne drying on "ristras" right now...My pablanos are just about ready within the next week to hang to dry as well..heres a couple of pictures..You can pick them green just when they start getting dark looking splotches almost black in color..they will turn red..they take about 8 weeks to dry..

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28022122@N0...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28022122@N0...

Answer 2

most all peppers eventually turn red.  However, some that turn red also become sweet; while others may not.  the seeds inside are the hot part.

slice your peppers, keeping or removing seeds for the heat effect, dry in a dehydrator.

My favorite little maquina is a coffee bean grinder.  put the dried peppers into the coffee mill, and it will grind the chile peppers from a course to a fine grind, depending on your mood, and length of grind.  TIP: do this outside.  if you have a lot, wear a painters' particle mask (3M 8210 or 8511) to keep the chili powder out of your nose (unless you want the burning thrill of an acute nasal irritant as well).