Experiment - Dehydrating Peppers in the OBS

[ArnieM]

This is the first time I've dehydrated anything.  I had quite a few of the Naga Jolokia peppers and a couple of red cherry peppers.  I put them on a rack and set the PID for 125.

It has been almost 5 hours so far and they're coming along.  I'm figuring on another 3 hours at least, maybe more.  I don't have a fan in the OBS.

I'll post back with the results.

[OU812]

TEASE.

Go ahead just leave us hangin.  ;D

[ronbeaux]

Yes, do that. I am knee deep in jalapenos this year!

[BuyLowSellHigh]

Gee. thought you might smoke some of those Ghost peppers and make the weaponized version of a Chipotle.

[pensrock]

I have smoked many types of peppers before then moved them into the drhydrator to finish. I normally cut the peppers in half to speed things up and allow better smoke. Nagas are thin walled so they should be fine, but the jalapenos will take a long time unless cut in half. IMHO

[ArnieM]

All of the peppers were cut in half length-wise.  I did not apply smoke.  The PID was at 125 and total time was about 10 hours.  If I did this more I'd certainly get a dehydrator.

I didn't do any Jals but did a couple of red cherry peppers.  They are pretty thick skinned like a Jal.  They didn't dry completely.  I'll warm the oven up a bit and put the cherry peppers in there for a while.

One rack is shown below.

[OU812]

Now I can sleep tonight.  :D

Looke like your dehydrating experiment turned out perty good.

Takes bout the same mount of time in my dehydrator.

BYW them peppers you sent me were great is my chili, thanks.

[thirtydaZe]

after drying peppers do you just eat them whole, or are they to be crushed and used in cooking?

[ArnieM]

I'm going to turn them into pepper flakes.  The Nagas are way too hot to eat whole.  Wiki says each Naga has roughly the equivalent heat of 400 cayenne peppers.  These should last me the winter.  ;D

[OU812]

after drying peppers do you just eat them whole, or are they to be crushed and used in cooking?

I do both with mine, most I leave whole and drop them in chili and stuff.

But thats just me.

[thirtydaZe]

sounds awesome.

i love crushed red peppers, so looks like this will be a new must for me.

pepperjoe will be doing an order very soon.

[ArnieM]

I got the Naga Jolokia seeds from pepper joe.  I started them indoors in mid Feb.  They're slow growers.  I didn't get peppers until late August.  Once they get going, they produce a lot of peppers.

The ones in the picture actually ripened in a brown paper bag in the last couple of weeks.  I was surprised they ripened so nicely.

[thirtydaZe]

I got the Naga Jolokia seeds from pepper joe.  I started them indoors in mid Feb.  They're slow growers.  I didn't get peppers until late August.  Once they get going, they produce a lot of peppers.

The ones in the picture actually ripened in a brown paper bag in the last couple of weeks.  I was surprised they ripened so nicely.

that is a long grow cycle. 

doing some research on the process now.

since habanero's are readily available, let me ask, have you dried these for starters?

[ArnieM]

I haven't dehydrated anything before thirty.  I'm on phase 2, drying a little more in the oven.  When I open the door my eyes tear.

The Naga peppers are a LOT hotter than Habs or Scotch Bonnets and they have to be handled with care.

Here's a Wiki link to the Nagas:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naga_jolokia

[Tenpoint5]

I got the Naga Jolokia seeds from pepper joe.  I started them indoors in mid Feb.  They're slow growers.  I didn't get peppers until late August.  Once they get going, they produce a lot of peppers.

The ones in the picture actually ripened in a brown paper bag in the last couple of weeks.  I was surprised they ripened so nicely.

So what your saying is to get them and get them started now to have peppers in May/June