Anyone grind their own peppers????

[HunkieDorie23]

I am growing hungarian paprika this year as well as chili's, jalapeno's, and cayenne. Does anyone dry these and make their own seasonings. I would love to have some recipes.

 

[rebbetzin]

I am growing hungarian paprika this year as well as chili's, jalapeno's, and cayenne. Does anyone dry these and make their own seasonings. I would love to have some recipes.

I grow many types of Habenero, Serrano and other really hot chilies.

I use my vitamix to grind them up. I learned the hard way not to open the top too soon after grinding them. Hot chili dust is not good for your eyes and skin!!

Then I just put it powder in canning jars. Many times I use the chili powder as gifts. I went to a local store here that sells all kinds of retail packaging and store fixtures. There I bought some very tiny ziplock bags (a small amount of Habenero powder will last most people for years! We have had a baby food jar of it in the 'fridge at the congregation, and it is still very hot, and it is about four years old now, and we still have over half a jar of it!)

Here are some labels I came up with when I make gifts of the powder or my husband's recipe for a very nice steak relish.

The relish is very easy to make, cut an onion in about eight pieces, divide the sections so they able to brown well under the broiler. Cut mushrooms in quarters. Cut the chilis in half, take out seeds and membranes if you want it less hot. Then put this all on a cookie sheet under the broiler, when the chilies start to get dark on the edges, take them out, let the onions get sort of clear and lightly browned, and the mushrooms will get dark and a bit dried looking.

Then chop all ingredients very finely, if you have a nice "chopper" it helps. To this finely chopped mixture add a small amount of Fish Sauce. Found in Asian Markets. It is made from anchovies. (I know it sounds weird, but you don't taste the fish sauce, honest.) We use "Squid" Brand. And no Squids are not kosher, but there are not any squids in it, only anchovies.)

Put the relish in a canning jar, let set for a few days. Use on steak or any other thing you would like to "spice up"

Even I like it and I don't like HOT foods at all.

 

[wifezilla]

yummmmmmmm

 

[HunkieDorie23]

OK Habenero's are way above what I can stand but I am planning on using the chili and cayenne's ( in small amounts - I am a whimp). Do you dry them in a dehydrator or sun dry or ???? Last year I grew only jalapeno and hungarian hot's but I used them in salsa (I seed them first because I think they are too hot). I didn't dry them. What I do have are recipes for chili powder, taco season and enchilda sauce that I would like to use them in. And of course use these for gifts. And I love the lable ideas. It is so awesome what you can do with a computer these days.

 

[tinychicken]

I grow a variety of hot peppers to grind. I used to grow all cayenne peppers but decided I prefer the flavors of other varieties so now make a mix of chiles.

As for the actual drying, it depends on the pepper. Small, thin-walled peppers lid cayenne can just be left on a rack or a kitchen towel. I usually take off the top and slice then in half. They dry quickly.

For the thicker-walled peppers, like jalapenos, I usually use the dehydrator. The idea is that you want them to dry before they start to spoil, so anything thick may need a little extra heat and air circulation to help it along.

If you don't have a dehydrator, I would recommend cutting the peppers to expose the interior and they will dry more quickly. Removing the seeds will speed up the drying, too.

As for the grinding, I use my food processor with the steel blade. I have learned the hard way that this is a task best done outdoors.

 

[HunkieDorie23]

I was watching "Good Eat" w/Alton Brown and he said that when you grind peppers that you have to let them set with the lid on for a while so you don't mace yourself so outside would probably be best.

I orders my paprika pepper from The Pepper Gal and they have the snazing catalog with a Scoville Heat Units chart. It's really cool because like I said I can't tolerate a lot of heat in my peppers.

I do have a dehydrator but it was my mother and is really old. It doesn't have temp settings or anything. You just plug it in and that is it.

 

[jen4]

We dry out our hot peppers too and grind them, add to seasoning containers and use as needed.

 

[HunkieDorie23]

Great, How do you dry them? Do you use a dehydrator or what to you do?

 

[CrestedHorizonPoultry]

I just dry ours out on a cookie sheet until they are completely dehydrated and then put in a canning jar. I chop as needed.

 

[curly_kate]

I have hung mine to dry on ristras, but had trouble with some of the peppers rotting. Now I use a dehydrator, and grind them in a food processor when they are done. Trust what everyone else was saying about toxic pepper dust - I've had firsthand experience with it! I put mine in spice jars to store it.