paprika

[Noodle Soup]

Has any tried making paprika from homegrown peppers? I have a load of pimento peppers in my dehydrater right now but it seems like it is taking for ever to get them down to the stage I think I can grind into dry powder.

 

[luuogle]

Maybe try spreading out the peppers more if you have them piled so they can dehydrate quicker.

 

[anko]

My experiences doing this:
1. they take an awfully long time to dehydrate, yep
2. if you're dehydrating them to grind immediately, cut them open, it'll speed the dehydration
3. no matter how long i dehydrate the peppers, my grinding yields 50% powder, 50% very small flakes, probably due to my grinder being suboptimal

 

[KnightKnightForever]

Yeah, dehydrating smaller pieces is definitely key to speediness. What temp is your dehydrator running at? Peppers are something you might consider doing in the oven at a low temp.

 

[Knivperson]

How about blitzing them first and then dehydrate them, and blitz again? Would maximize surface area.

 

[Noodle Soup]

135 degrees in an Excalibur. I haven't tried to grind them yet but will probably cut the pieces up a bit before that.

 

[Twigg]

I grow leutschauer paprika peppers each year. I will split the pepper and remove the seeds and stem. Next, I dehydrate at 135f for 6 to 8 hours, sometimes more. I find that skin up on the rack works best. After they are dry, I grind in a dedicated coffee grinder. This yields powder and some small flakes like @anko said above. I do not use any type of anticaking agent and just break up clumps as needed. Works well enough for me and has a far superior aroma and flavor to anything I have seen in a store.

 

[Noodle Soup]

Thanks Twigg. That is pretty much what I did this year. Just haven't got around to using any of the powder in my cooking. Guess I need to find a Hungarian recipe!