Re: Chili peppers--preserving

In a message dated 7/7/99 10:54:41 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
kennebeck@prodigy.net writes:

<<   I am also
 interested in dehydrating them.  Got a message back from someone else about
 this.......sorry, I accidentally deleted that one, but I meant to reply
 back.  I do have a dehydrator.  Should I chop them and then dry or dry and
 then chop?  Sorry about this, guys, but this is my first time with these
 little peppers.  They are awfully cute! >>

Hi Martha,   I too use lots of chile peppers in cooking.  The ones I grow for 
this are the small hottish serrano.  My preferred method of preserving them 
is dehydrating.  If you are drying chiles,  the smaller ones with thin walls 
are best dried uncut.  Just pick them red for best flavor and let them dry in 
a warm dry place.  You dont even need a dehydrator,  but that would speed the 
process.  When totally dry,  I then freeze them for 24 hours to kill any 
insect eggs,  then place them in a closed jar for later use.  This works well 
in my area because I have very low humidity.  I then use them whole in stocks 
and stews for flavor (if you leave them whole,  you can pull them out later), 
 or if I want powdered,  I toast them carefully on a skillet,  then cool and 
grind in a coffee grinder reserved specifically for spices.

Janet.
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