[CH] 'snap' dry is safe
Greg Metcalfe (biosphere@proaxis.com)
Wed, 31 Dec 1997 16:35:53 -0800
Steve DeCristofor and the Ch's,
Soon after they leave their point of origin, few ristras or commercial
(bagged) dried chiles are dry enough to snap in two without "a whole lotta
flexin' goin' on"
Even if they started that way, in the 2% humidity of New Mexico, for
instance, they won't *stay* that way. Even the bagged products usually
aren't packed in such a way that they're completely immune to local humidity
levels.
If you hve chiles dehydrated to the point where they'll 'snap', you're
pretty safe. As others have recommended, go ahead and freeze at this point.
If you want them to keep 'till the pyramids are dust, leave them whole.
IMHO, at any given temperature, it's best not to grind (creating ye magical
powders) before long-term storage. I keep whole dried chiles, w/o freezing,
even in the humid west side of Oregon (yesterday it was 38 degrees, 99% RH),
over the winter. They don't stay dry enough to snap like a cracker, but
they've been safe enough.
But if I grind more than I'll use in 2 weeks, there's a noticeable fall-off
in aroma and flavor. I've noticed the same thing with frozen powders. It
takes a bit longer, but it happens.
Herewith, I humbly present The Biosphere Kitchen Dried Chile Guidelines
(as modified for 'way moldy western Oregon environs, revision
1.1.1.mumble.mumble)
1- Buy anything. No matter where it came from, by the time you get it, it
will be at ambient conditions.
2- If it's whole, leave it whole. Except for what you're going to use in the
next 2 weeks.
3- If you ground it in a spice or coffee grinder, your girlfriend will find
out at the worst possible time, and *will not approve*. This will probably
involve carpet-cleaning (and possibly medical) expenses. Deny everything. It
won't work, but you can always accuse her of not trusting you, and divert
the argument. That won't work either, BTW, but it's usually best to confuse
the issue, all else being equal.
4- When you find a deal, or just something you like, buy in bulk, package,
and freeze whole. The things really do keep practically forever. Don't try
to get the girlfriend that you just annoyed (see #3) to do this for you.
That won't work either, and may require the services of Mountain Rescue, the
local fire department, or possibly the National Guard to extricate you from
this situation. Your buddies will only laugh at you. This is one of those
cases where it's actually easier to do it yourself.
Hope this helps,
------------------------------------------
Greg Metcalfe
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