Chili is a versatile and delicious ingredient that adds flavor and spice to many dishes. However, fresh peppers have a short shelf life and can go bad quickly if not stored properly. A way to preserve peppers longer is to dry them using a different method. Today, we will talk about the pepper drying process.
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3 ways to dry red chilli
There are two common methods of drying peppers, one for domestic use and one for industrial use. In this article, you will see a specific introduction to drying peppers.
Air dry
This is the easiest and most natural way to dry chiles. Operators hang or scatter peppers on strings in a well-ventilated area with low humidity and direct sunlight. Depending on the size and thickness of the peppers, it can take days or weeks to dry.
Tips for Dried Peppers
- Choose peppers that are firm, ripe and unblemished for best results
- Wash and dry the peppers thoroughly before drying
- Cut the large peppers in half or quarters to speed up the pepper drying process
- Thread peppers into long strings with thick thread.
- Hang the pepper strings in a sunny place with good air circulation. Take care to avoid places where dust, insects, or animals may contaminate the peppers.
- Inspect peppers regularly for signs of mold or rotting, and discard any affected peppers.
- When the peppers become brittle and break easily, the peppers are completely dry.
Drying Peppers Using a red chilli dryer machine
Red chilli dryer machine is a necessary machine for all major pepper processing factories. In the pepper drying process, it can dry a large amount of peppers in a very short time. And the peppers are pollution-free and of high quality during the pepper drying process.
Pepper drying process
- Spread the peppers evenly on the drying mop. Note that the laying thickness should not exceed 5 cm.
- After laying all the peppers, push them into the red chili dryer machine.
- Turn on the switch and set the pepper drying temperature between 55-75 degrees. The temperature can be adjusted at will.
- It is recommended to set the initial drying temperature of peppers at 55 degrees Celsius for 2 hours.
- Then set the temperature of the red chilli dryer machine to 60 degrees Celsius and the humidity to 15% for 8 hours.
- After eight hours of drying, the moisture in the peppers has been depleted. To further dry the peppers, it is recommended to set the drying temperature to 58 degrees Celsius. Duration is 2 hours.
- Cool and pack. After the drying is completed, it needs to be cooled for 2 hours, and it is not packaged until it is consistent with the room temperature.
Drying Peppers in a Home Oven
You can also oven dry the peppers if you have one at home. You can put the chili jam on a baking sheet. Drying time is on the order of a few hours, depending on the size of the peppers and the setting of your oven.
- Clean the peppers.
- Preheat the oven to 50 degrees Celsius.
- Put the cleaned peppers into the oven.
- During the pepper drying process, you can turn on the oven and stir the peppers.
- After the roasting is completed, the chili is hard but not brittle.
Summarize
Drying peppers is a great way to preserve your harvest and enjoy their flavor and heat all year round. Try different pepper drying method and varieties of peppers to find your favorite combination. Happy drying!