9.22.2013

DIY Chili Pepper Powder

I had some chili peppers going bad last summer and thought, hey why not dehydrate them? It was a last ditch attempt to get some good out of them and I didn't really have a desired outcome.  But after grinding them I realized it was quite delicious on top of fried eggs or anything really.

So I'm doing it again this year!  This time of year the chiles are abundant and cheap at farmer's markets. And the result is much tastier and customizable than supermarket "chile powder".

You can make chili powder out of any type of chili- jalapeno, serrano, chilaca, poblano etc.  You might want to color code your powders; grind all greens together and all reds together.

Method:
1. Wash and dry the outside of the chile peppers
2. Cut off the stems, slice open. Optional: remove seed/membrane for less spicy version.
3. Lay on dehydrator screens. Dehydrate at 110 or 115 F until dry and no squishy spots (if there is full sun and hot weather, you might get away with drying outside? just watch out for bugs)
4. Grind into a powder.  My friend let me use her Vitamix dry blade. You could try a coffee grinder (if it is used for spices! Otherwise you might get spicy coffee)

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