Re: [CH] Drying Habaneros
Calvin Donaghey (gdonaghey@bitstreet.com)
Tue, 14 Dec 1999 09:28:01 -0600
Carlos-
You have asked about a subject in which I am keenly interested.
1. Cutting the pods open so air can freely circulate. This usually means
cutting them into discs, but whole pods can be managed if you're
careful. Habaneros have 2 to 4 internal chambers that may each be
air-tight. Each chamber must have access to circulating air.
Thick-walled pods are more difficult to dry than thin-walled pods.
2. Dehydrate with temps below 130 degrees F. (120 is better)
3. Use a dehydrator with a fan to constantly circulate air. If you're
just starting out, a Mr. Coffee is pretty good and less than $30.00. I
have one that's 4 years old and gets a LOT of use. One of the best is
probably Excaliber @ $175.00+. With the cheap models, you may have to
rotate the trays because of "cool spots", but I do this anyway as I
check the pods. I seldom leave pods on the dehy for more than 24 hours,
and often have them dry in 18 or so. If that means slicing pods,
rotating trays and moving pods, so be it. The industrial dehy I have
used still must be checked often to maintain the best results.
4. Watch the pods very carefully. There is a "grace period" after pods
are fully dried, and before they begin to carmelize, where they still
retain their color. Once carmelization begins, the pods quickly darken
and take on a cooked, burned or baked flavor. Take them off and seal
them in an air-tight container before carmelization. (I freeze mine.)
The differences in opinions on this part of the process hinge on getting
them dry enough to prevent bacterial growth. FWIW, I believe the
sun-dried pods have a much higher chance of bacterial growth than pods
quickly dried, because they are dried to a leathery (high moisture)
texture and may take many days. Moisture and time are the allies of
bacteria and fungus and the enemies of freshness and flavor. That is
not intended to mean sun-dried pods are inferior, but that over-drying
is perhaps used in fear that bacterial growth is to be expected.
Sun-dried pods have been a staple of Native Americans (North, South, and
Central) for thousands of years.
I have had a lot of folks comment that my powder is an unusual color,
yellow/orange/red instead of reddish brown. The reason is that I am
dehydrating yellow, orange and red ripe pods and not allowing them to
carmelize. It is time consuming and sometimes a pain, but the flavor
and color you will retain with this method are, I think, worth the
trouble.
You will find that there are a lot of variations in opinions on this
subject, and mine is only one of the many. Also, there are a lot of
really smart folks on this List that know more about the subject than I
do. Experiment for your own benefit, and let us know how you do.
Calvin
cdzar@swbell.net wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I want to dry some Habaneros (and other chile peppers) and was
> wondering, "How do you dry the Habeneros or any chile pepper without
> losing the color?"
>
> Thanks in advance for your help!!!
> Carlos