Dehydrating Peppers and Making Pepper Powder + Spicy Chips - Pepper Geek

[@InsidetheCasino]

So I cut up my Carolina Reapers tonight into rings, and left the seeds in. Ground them in a coffee grinder, and the seeds ground to a powder as well. And, YES, I didn’t leave the lid on long enough, and got me a nice coughing fit. One tip for washing out your grinder attachments, do NOT spray them off. Place them directly into soapy hot water. The spraying will cause the dust to get into the air. Learned the hard way on that.

[@nunyabisnass1141]

We used to breathe the dust as a game. Eventually the ghost powder only irritated us a little, but still had to stop because ppl without a tolerance were complaining hours and days later. Im thinking of smoking them to dry them this year, and maybe throw some garlic into blender with it.

[@synthesizerneil]

I'm a simple man. I see a pepper geek video, I watch and thumbs up

[@kiachris76712]

🐂💩

[@synthesizerneil]

@@kiachris76712 Excuse me?

[@D71219ONE]

@@synthesizerneil He was just giving you fertilizer. Very kind of him.

[@RJ_Question]

@@D71219ONE yes especially for those home grown chillies

[@DrunkInPublic]

My kind of dog!!

[@trappenweisseguy27]

I have found that popsicle sticks, particularly the ones that are a wide paddle shape, work great at getting the seeds out. A pair of cranked neck tweezers also works well to literally pick them out.

[@LazyGardenGamer]

As a chef its always fun to watch how the general masses take the seeds out of peppers. That being said, it was actually helpful for the tip on placing them skin side down in the dehydrator, i wouldnt have thought twice about which side. Cheers for the temperature guide and the tip! I'll leave a quick chili lime recipe that I've used on my own chips in the past. 2 tbsp dehydrated chili powder (I use habaneros or cayenne depending on how spicy I'm craving) 1 tbsp dehydrated lime powder (slice limes as thin as you can, dehydrate for roughly 30 hours at 68°C, then grind) Pinch of salt Easily one of the best, and simplest dry rubs I've ever put together ;)

[@johnhancock7746]

thanks for sharing!

[@nunyabisnass1141]

If you're annoyed by the powder caking over time, you can buy food grade desicant packs like you often find in jerky bags and other foods. Maybe you could also use a few grains of rice which is an old technique to keep the salt in the shaker from clumping.

[@ashleighnelson512]

I just did a huge batch of cayenne peppers and made crushed red pepper flakes. Next time I want to do cayenne powder as well, so this is very helpful! Thanks 😎👍

[@PepperGeek]

Sounds tasty - you bet!

[@l_crow1575]

In your opinion, what peppers would make the best pepper flakes for chili oil and similar applications? Cayenne is a big one, are there others at a similar (or above some) level of heat?

[@fabianperson]

Thanks for translating US units to SI units

[@Chris-ut6eq]

United States uses metric in many businesses which ship world wide products. As a kid we were taught both systems then politicians changed things so we stay in the company of Liberia, and Myanmar as non SI countries. It's silly and costly that we do not switch. Hope this changes fully in the next few decades.

[@Ottawajames]

I've used a few grains of uncooked rice to help control caking.

[@PepperGeek]

True - if it is dry enough, why not!

[@raybaker8726]

I am lucky enough to have a huge dehydrator. My son and I this year have made 3 different types of chili powder. We dried the serranos and super cayannes he grew. I also bought a pound of Hatch Chilis from the store and dried then. Saved seeds and now have hatch chilis sprouted in grow tent. I mixed a batch of the 3 to make a pot of chili. The flavor was great. Sweet at first then a slight bite. Nothing that burned but good. The outdoor grinding is good advise. The dust will cause coughing fits. We have all 3 mixed into a rub for a prime rib roast at thanksgiving.

[@Oorlich95]

What timing. I was looking into ways of doing this earlier this morning.

[@ashleighnelson512]

If you use a dehydrator take it outside while doing hot peppers. Trust me 😁

[@PepperGeek]

🤣 hope it helps

[@Oorlich95]

@@PepperGeek I'm sure it will.

[@kevinsorensen367]

I was looking for powdered jalapenos at the store with no luck, and then saw this video in my feed!

[@randymartosoewito7892]

I dehydrate chocolate reapers

[@papajoecooking4425]

I’m 66 yrs old. Many many years ago I was shown a way to remove the smell of garlic,onion,fish even hot pepper from hands. Never wash hands with hot water as it will open the pores in your skin and fuse the smell to the skin! Wash with cold water with dish soap rinse then lather hands again the rub hands,between fingers on the divider of a stainless steel sink or use a stainless steel spoon or even the handle of a stainless steel butter knife! I enjoy your channel! Cheers!

[@kennapace3869]

Wash your hands with salt

[@justicefourcats3203]

I just made a chilli powder that's a mix of orange habaneros, aji lemon/lemon drop, and ghost peppers. Smells amazing. Tried the tiniest amount, and my tongue is going to fall off. Thanks for the help!

[@firestarter2793]

Ha ha. Excellent! Thank you for taking the time to share. I send you both much love and light.

[@tbabubba32682]

Breathing in the fire is just part of the fun. Especially in you don't remove the seeds and placenta from your super hots. Good video, I think some people don't realize that making pepper powder is an option.

[@paulie6446]

I constantly thread new Cayennes onto a fishing line across my kitchen window-dry ones off the other end.In these covid times I started wearing a mask when grinding!✌🏻🌱🤘🏻🤧😷

[@mathematicall736]

The welches Pokémon glass 😮 I had those when I was a kid, pure nostalgia

[@PepperGeek]

I don’t even remember this being in the video, but thank you for noticing ☺️still love Pokemon

[@kccarl7447]

I've been doing this for years. Works great.

[@aitqhjofr]

I bought some garlic salt seasoning and thought it needed something extra. After watching this, I finally knew what to do with my frozen chili peppers 🌶 and made some chili powder. I mixed it in with my garlic seasoning and it tastes so much better! Lucky I came across this video, I never would’ve thought to try it 👍

[@carlosvalentin990]

Thanks for the videos. I used my air fryer to dehydrate my peppers. It's one of the rectangular ones with many settings, including dehydrate. Works like a charm, I do it outdoors.

[@KatyaPaden]

Wow how long do you dehydrate them? We have a Breville air fryer.

[@carlosvalentin990]

@@KatyaPaden It took about 2 hrs on the dehydrate setting. Just keep an eye on them. Then blend them in a spice grinder or small blender.

[@HamCubes]

I bought a tomato corer from webstaurant for ~50¢ and have found it is an invaluable tool for prepping peppers. It's great for scooping seeds and removing the placenta especially. Prior to cutting, rolling peppers under light pressure between your hands or gently on your cutting board can really help to release the seeds. Thank you for the info on dehydrators. I am relieved to learn that a convection oven can yield decent results! I don't want any more small appliances! Placing cold pizza stones or even clean bricks wrapped in foil in the oven might help to draw the oven heat away from drying peppers for the length of time they take to heat up. After they have heated up, they would compound, not reduce, the heat issue *Though as with all my hare-brained schemes, it would require testing first. I would choose an oven-safe cooling rack that is the worst at conducting heat. Or even a silicone-coated wire cooling rack that's safe under ~400*F/200*C.

[@kin242]

Nice timing I just bought a dehydrator for this very purpose! Thank you for the chip recipe can't wait to try that!!!

[@PepperGeek]

Nice, hope you enjoy! A dehydrator will come in handy for soo many things if you grow lots of your own food

[@lorenzodelacruz1887]

Lots of good information. Thanks for another great show.

[@r.awilliams9815]

Along about 1996 I grew a few fatalli plants and decided to make some powder. Dried some peppers in the oven, at which there were uneasy murmurings at the other end of the house, where She Who Must Not Be Annoyed was located. I then popped a few dried peppers into the coffee grinder, gave them a good long whirl, and opened the lid for a sniff. She Etc. came into the kitchen at a run to find out what was making that weird whooping noise and ran right into the mushroom cloud, promptly joining me on the floor to make higher-pitched weird whooping noises. This went on for ten minutes or so, at which point I could distinguish words. Bad words. Many bad words. Domestic life was a trifle strained for a while after that little episode.🙄

[@PepperGeek]

🤣😂😅

[@jacquelinewubbena6604]

😂😂😊

[@sbwyo1966]

Great video; I'm going to dehydrate my peppers for the first time in the next couple of days. Can't wait.

[@fishlovme]

Never thought about grinding outside! I might have to try that next time.

[@Magisktification]

We are using dried Chili de Árbol that is 4-5years old. Aint nothing wrong with them, still has great flavor. I Always dehydrate them at the 45c setting on my excalibur, this way im sure no nutrients nor flavor is lost, at 50+ some sensitive nutrients may get ruined. Love this machine. Easy to use. Perfect for mushroom season as well! 👍

[@PepperGeek]

Thanks - I think we'll try it at a slightly lower temp next time

[@brownsugar1958ful]

Thanks for sharing ❤

[@SlicksOutdoors]

The most helpful video I have been able to find. Thank you.

[@hekkenschutz]

God bless you for making this video and sharing your knowledge

[@electricboogeyman5855]

That lid stop was slick

[@PepperGeek]

😏

[@deboz8793]

Just what I was looking for, thanks!

[@nerdlebrityelpodcast9618]

"Self torture" - that cracked me up. great video, very informative! thanks for sharing your knwoledge Greetings !

[@eddiespagetti8395]

I lived with guys who loved peppers. They grew many plants and hung upside down all over house every wall had peppers hanging. They would put in blender and grind up and have bottles full of same looking pepper powder. The whole house was like a pepper spray bomb went off , you had to wear breathing mask when processing these peppers. That power was so delicious sprinkle on Allmost anything. The pepper boys rob and Yves I hope you read this .

[@priayief]

Interesting and informative video. Couple of tips: When I started dehydrating and grinding my peppers for storage, I notice the ground pepper would "cake" a little bit. It's a little more work but if you sieve your ground peppers then re-dehydrate them, it stops the caking. When you do this, you should use parchment paper on your Excalibur or (recommended) purchase specialized sheet trays for dehydrating powders. A word of caution: don't open the door on your dehydrator until you turn it off first. And for those wanting to clean their grinders after use: grind up a handful of rice after grinding your peppers.

[@sc3639]

I will have to try that rice trick. I bought a grinder from a thrift store but my wife likes to use it every now and then do grind up her special coffee beans. Often she gets spicy coffee lol

[@leobaltz2057]

Yes 100% correct. Once I learned that you need to dehydrate and second time after grinding it was a game changer!! No more caked up homegrown spices!!

[@bthyme]

If you have a blender, you can screw a regular mouth Mason jar upside down over the blender blades. It makes a very tight seal, and you don't have to open it for a while. Remove the jar, still attached to the blades, put it right-side-up on the counter to settle the powder before opening and immediately sealing with a Mason jar lid.

[@TheScovilleUnit]

They always smell good dehydrating... 🥰

[@PepperGeek]

Oh yeah, immediately fills the room!

[@TNBushcrafter]

I have dry smoked Buena mulatas, Trinidad scorps, and scotch bonnets whole on a wood smoker. I finish em off in the dehydrator but they are mostly dry by then. Then powder them all separately. A huge abundance of all these along with Brazilian starfish this year. I dehydrate fully bone dry so they don't mold. My dehydrators run 24/7, I always load them as I prep dinner. I dehydrate peppers @130'ish. Humidity and water content of the product are going to effect the time usually around 12 hrs. I haven't needed to grind outside. I did take a sniff once that was brutal.

[@richardlouden3178]

I always use my oven to dehydrate my peppers. I do use a small heat twist. I remove the heat proof oven lightbulb and replace it with a higher wattage regular incandescant light bulb. In my 24 inch oven I find a 150 watt bulb yeilds about 140 degrees F. Also, before they go into the oven they sleep for a day in the cold smoker with hickory smoke.

[@desertfrog1581]

Mom and I had an adventure dehydrating fire roasted hatch green chilis. We turned them into powder and put it in home made fudge! So good! But man we were coughing and sneezing while doing it! we cry laughed so hard!

[@3_KNIVES]

I grow super hot chili peppers and the heat plummets when they are frozen and put into a dehydrator (I'm speaking for myself). I'm probably doing something wrong. From my experience, the best way to get the experience from a super hot pepper or any pepper, is to pick and eat it straight from the plant. I have a "food saver" vacuumed out the air and they're in the freezer. Haven't checked them out yet. You have a great channel. Keep it up!

[@goodgnarfun]

Love your content guys. I’m growing cayenne and tabasco moving into superhots next year now that I have a grow tent. Cheers from CT as well. I’ll need to pick up a shirt to represent!

[@michaelrule2541]

This year, I smoked some of my bell peppers before I dehydrated them. I also made my own smoked paprika. Did my own Chipotles and smoked dried anchos.

[@williamwilson6887]

Great video. Last fall I gathered all of my pods that had not begun to ripen and dehydrated them all together. I had everything from ghost peppers to jalapeños. When finished I had almost 2 litres of powder which I called “green kick”. It was a big hit for the spice fans around the office.

[@PepperGeek]

Nice! Thats an impressive amount of powder.

[@joeb327]

Excellent video. Very informative. Thanks

[@jetsersjets2638]

We smoke some of our peppers before dehydrating and powdering. Gives a great flavor!

[@PepperGeek]

We're planning to try this ASAP! We'll have to be crafty without a proper smoker

[@christinej2358]

Good information! Thank you for sharing!

[@iartistdotme]

You can add 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon arrowroot powder to keep the ground peppers from clumping. Wished I watched BEFORE I handled my peppers - the first time, then again the next year when I forgot to get gloves. It was burning so bad and about 5 hours later I began feeling my fingers then my hands and finally the pain was gone. The next day after the spoon had been washed well in hot water, it still transferred heat to my fingers and then to my lips when I bit my nails. Another lesson learned.

[@ericashannon8321]

Thank you for the video! I just started my first batch!

[@ritzileclaire5990]

I love the alternative uses

[@AJsGreenThumbLLC]

Thanks for this very informative video!! I took lots of notes!

[@JamesMarcosChocolate]

Hey Pepper Geek, Love your channel and useful information! I wanted to suggest that you don't pre-grind your peppers into powder and let them sit for a long time. The flavor and heat volatiles will age badly and become stale and somewhat rancid. Pretty much any store bought pre-ground chili powder has been sitting in a warehouse for quite a while and most likely is stale by the time it is sold. As a chili aficionado utilizing chilis for a long time I always buy dried chili's whole and roast and grind as I need them. I also grow a small amount of my own and purchase fresh from local farmers and dehydrate them. I also dry the peppers with the seeds and placenta as they tend to contain more of the capsaicin, then grind all of it. Was wondering why your grinder does not work that well, I've never had that problem with my grinders.

[@PepperGeek]

Just got about 80 of these into a ferment - excited to see the results in a few weeks

[@redbone7040]

Excellent information thanks👌👌👌

[@PepperGeek]

Thanks for watching :)

[@keithcarey6016]

suggestion on the birdseye peppers, but the top off and roll them upside down to drop the seeds out. they are too small to cut in half and scoop. Great for saving seeds too. But even chopped up smaller than a flake, the seeds plus the pods make a really nice heat additive for all kinds of foods. not at all distracting from what a pure powder.

[@jacquelines3685]

Hiii I just picked about 200 Carolina Reapers!🔥🔥🔥 Of course I wore 🧤 gloves. I have a nice Dehydrator and I'm going to Dehydrate these tonight. I'm going to grind them into powder to use for cooking & put some in a small glass spice containers to give as gifts. Great video ☺️

[@hermitcrab7169]

Excited to do this myself!

[@SSNUTHIN]

I am not a pepper grower, but I love Shishitos and couldn't eat them fast enough to avoid waste. I used this video as my reference for how to dry them. I dehydrated them at 125 for 13 hours (I planned for 12, but some of the bigger ones were still flexible at 11 hours so I added another hour just to be safe). They smell awesome! I'm going to leave then in halves until I am ready to use them and grind what I want as needed. Thank you so much for saving me and many others money and waste.

[@dizziechef9502]

I’ve been making my own chili powder for awhile. I often use the Mexican dried chili peppers I get on Amazon. I’d like to grow my own . I buy the dried peppers then roast them slightly . I take seeds out . I powder them after they are fully dried. I use my dehydrator if they bend .

[@blaineaustin-ml9xz]

I dehydrated chocolate habaneros once and purposely put some on one tray cut side down. After they were done I did some fresh pineapple slices. Delicious

[@maryj.sletten7560]

A grapefruit spoon works especially well to clean out seeds and membranes for both fruits and vegetables

[@erineprightyoga2664]

Omg I love the secret milk glass aka jam jar. I thought I was the only one who still had those. Great videos, can wait to check out your new channel!

[@dougmorissette459]

Another great video! What brand and model of dehydrator are you using? Thanks for the instructional videos.

[@MyAlbertC]

Thanks 😊

[@madelinehall8944]

Blessings from Chicago. I use the white cotton gloves inside the rubber gloves. I have nails so I use smaller size rubbermaid.

[@kha0z558]

Going to try this out!

[@kirkberryleo3307]

Thanks man … my ghost pepper chips turned out perfectly! Btw, it was because of you my pepper plant turned out over 30 peppers and still going! Thanks again

[@PepperGeek]

Nice! We're so happy to have been a help

[@LeahsLeaves]

Self torture, 😆🌶! That was funny. Thanks for the good tutorial; my early hots are just coming in, and I'll have habanero and fatalii in another couple weeks. Definitely making some powders and spice blends.

[@MichaelDBauer]

Yet another awesome video. A question though. I've read that the leaves from the plants are very flavorful as well, but when I type into a search engine about dehydrating the leaves, all I find are how to dehydrate just the peppers. Any experience with dehydrating the leaves?

[@awg6397]

Ive been dehydrating jalapenos, poblanos, and cayennes for a couple of weeks now. Ive got some saved for hot pepper vinegar and hot sauce.

[@johnliberty3647]

I have touched my eyes cutting peppers so many times that I found a way to enjoy it like a massage. I did it with the Carolina Reaper one year and that wasn't a pleasant massage.

[@weepingangel2564]

those chips would pair fabulously with hummus

[@bigoljoe1829]

Loved the pokemon jam jar milk glass!!

[@lloydhardcastle5966]

Peter pepper, come on, you KNOW that's not what they're called. I have 2 myself. Love my dehydrator, even ordinary chillies can be turned into something special, often taking on different flavours when dried. I have a small smoker too, so smoked paprika and all the Mexican chillies. Great video as always guys. Ps you can just leave the oven door a jar slightly allowing air flow and a lower temperature, its how I do my sun dried tomatoes as there's no sun in the UK.

[@PepperGeek]

😂 - but yeah you're right, the dehydrator brings out awesome flavor. It is even more pronounced with fruits, like a bland banana that it transformed into a sweet candy-like treat

[@patriciacostales7919]

Great video, hoping for a dehydrator for Christmas. FYI, a grapefruit spoon works even better for de-seeding than a regular spoon.

[@PepperGeek]

Great idea! We have one of those, perfect way to use it since we started eating grapefruits like oranges

[@Cherbear609]

Oh your homemade chips look good, bet hummus would be great with them! 👍

[@abedanielspictures]

I love all you YT pepper guys are all, WARNING: if you are working with hot peppers, they are hot! Use caution! Good content just the same bro.

[@bewarebroadcasting9773]

To prevent caking add a large grain kosher salt to the mix it should help I new a family that used rice in homemade spices to keep it from clumping up too, they always have the best food!

[@nunyabisnass1141]

I actually want the powder from the super hots as a cheap decongestant. We've already sone this as it was a game to shake the jar and huff it. We had to stop because my brothers wife would come several hours later and start coughing. But ill tell you, it works great for opening the sinuses during allergy season, and the best part is you cant overdose on it like you can with nasal spray. I love that you posted self torture as a use, because that's pretty much why we all do this.

[@AlanMinasi]

Awesome, thank you!

[@frency5671]

Thank you!

[@PepperGeek]

You're welcome, hope you enjoy

[@trmwyldshade1482]

Okay, I actually found myself drooling towards the end…

[@ventureoffroading]

We always make powder from all the leftover peppers from the garden we find when we pull the plants at the end of the season. We have one bottle we call Death Powder and we have been cursed by guest (who were warned) that applied too much to their food. I love it.

[@solzimm]

The color difference from store bought is most likely because they use a higher heat, it dries faster and in turn toasts the pepper. I think it bakes a lot of the flavor out, I doubt they remove seeds or veins so that will impact color/flavor as well.

[@petertran8051]

Great video Bud!!!

[@mightnesoep5249]

Last year I did Cayenne powder. I let my peper dry, hanging in front of the window à string passed through the stem for about one month and a half until they get cracking when you bend them. And after blender (i didn't remove seeds) I got a very hot melt of powder and small flakes. This year with my harvest of gorria pepper I gonna do the same but without the seeds.

[@kuqezi8081]

*Gotta respect that metric system flex* Great content btw.

[@jbonkerz]

This year I made myself some smoked cayenne powder, and some chipotle powder.

[@PepperGeek]

Awesome, can't wait to experiment with smoking peppers

[@jbonkerz]

@@PepperGeek I have tried the Chipotle powder went wonderfully on french fries. I plan to use the smoked cayenne in my next batch of chilli.

[@cruzkb]

Your videos are well made and super helpful!

[@HypeKillahPwnd]

I dried some whole habaneros 3 years ago. Still have 5 left. I find it easier to remove the seeds after dehydrating them right before use

[@tigerwhat]

Grapefruit spoons are fantastic for seeding peppers…

[@bahamaghost8327]

Wish I had a girl that wanted me and wanted to grow plants with me. Y’all are cute. Keep it up

[@kamranki]

Any girl can to that bro!

[@kiachris76712]

Uh

[@yugiohman28]

Love love love this video

[@Jennifer-qo4kz]

👍🏻 Omgosh we were just talking about how to dry peppers to put in shakers without using a food dehydrator. We love peppers!!!! But I was wondering can one eat an underripe pepper? I know there are some peppers meant to be eaten at red or orange etc. stage. I didn’t know if they are ok to eat at any stage of their growth. Thank you!

[@MB-co6qj]

Any stage is fine! Like bell peppers you can also eat the green stage

[@klcpca]

Will reinforce the need the need to wear gloves and wash hands when handling hot peppers.... Hubby worked with hot peppers and learned the hard way to wash his hands well BEFORE going to the "office"!! Can't wait until next Spring when I start my pepper adventures for the first time!

[@kevintetreault6112]

This was my first season 2024 and I had great success and am now getting ready to grind. Seeing this comment, I have to ask- how did it go for you?

[@klcpca]

@@kevintetreault6112 sadly mine when nowhere this year 2024... we just couldn't get them started. :(

[@kevintetreault6112]

@@klcpca There’s always next year my friend! Best wishes!

[@klcpca]

@@kevintetreault6112 Same to you!! :)

[@priusdwelling504]

Use a 1/2 tsp sharp metal measuring spoon to scrap out the seeds.

[@CryptoNWOClips]

Subscribed at the perfect time

[@thistlefooderie]

Very helpful!

[@joeygirl314]

How cool!! I’ve been wondering how to preserve my Thai chiles while awaiting the Reapers to fruit (when I plan to make some awesome hot sauce 🌶 😁👍🏼)…thanks, @Pepper Geek!💕 (LOVE the “secret milk”!!👍🏼🤣🤣🤣)

[@zekelucente9702]

I love dried chilis and I think the best is Pemente de Espelet from the Basque region. Especially as a finishing seasoning with seafood. If you haven’t tried it you must.

[@JohnJude-dp6ed]

My first ever dehydrator so I'm trying. Jalapeno habanero senorita and cayenne.and banana.( ( Banana is questionable trail) Always tell people what they are eating and our wives. Can't imagine removing the membrane and seeds but might do your deluxe style next season. Thanks Don't worry I'm a forgiving person.

[@zach1810]

Just tried this out with my Carolina Reapers. EVERYTHING DONE OUTSIDE!!!