Your 2015 Garden, what are you doing?

We have started drying our paprika peppers and making our own paprika. This is just so much fun. We have made onion and garlic powder, oregano, cayenne, basil. My husband likes the final step of making them into powder. I have to go outside when he does the cayenne. It really chokes me up. I wished I had started this years ago.

 

3-21-15 we made some jerky. We put some in the dehydrator and some in the smoker. It did not last long at the Sunday practice shoot.

 

Thank you very much, Yard Dart.

 

I crushed some Chili de Arbol. This must be done outside. My nephew was interested in how this was done. So, I took some step by step pictures. After the first bag, I had to quit. I was getting a little choked up. But, someone may be interested in making their own pepper powder.

 

Yes ma'am. Consider how a home intruder would react to a face full from compressed air or an airbag deployment system. It would be home made pepper spray.

 

Someone posted an article about re-growing veggies. I tried some celery and this is what I have so far. Some of the pictures are blurry.

 

Something like this ma'am.
Fill the cone with fine ground pepper, and cellophane or saran wrap and rubber band. It would make a nasty surprises.

 

We have some Bhut Jolokia Ghost Pepper in the garden. I have some air drying now. I am sort of scared of them..lol
Last year we put some annaheim chilis on the grill and them I froze them the same as you do the hatch chilis. I did not use gloves and apparently at some time touched my face. I had to hold a ice bag on my forehead and eyes for 1 and 1/2 hours. It was quite an experience.
So, I guess we will need to suit up when we do the ghost peppers. I will post pictures when we do. My neighbors were scratching their heads on why we would want to plant ghost peppers. Well, we just love peppers. A little would go a long way.

 

You need a gas mask for ghost peppers. =)

 

wow

THANK YOU!!!! We were wondering about a vehicle for this project. I think you have solved it for us.

 

That is what I have been worrying about. We have the regular masks P something. But, I think you are right and something more sophisticated for that project.

 

Just don't do what I did and take the lid off the blender right after you pulverize the peppers. Leave it alone for an hour so the dust settles. I swear my lungs and eyes still burn from doing that to a blender full of habaneros last year.

 

Thank you very much, that sounds like it may work for us. I will definitely keep it outside on the porch..lol

 

Perhaps a more convenient and cheaper alternative might be the canned air horn. Lighter, more maneuverable, and with the added benefit of a piercingly loud noise. A person can have several of them about the house and outbuildings.

 

EXCELLENT posts/pics pealselbsy!
I have been reading on how to make my own "powders" and would really like to try it. A lot of folks I've read about have said to use a new coffee grinder. I really want to try growing a lot of peppers next season. We use them a lot in cooking and they are SO expensive in the stores-around here at least. Thanks for the pics!

 

I made a lot of spice powders erm.... two years ago I think? Maybe three. I have a pint mason jar of cayenne from it still and it hasn't lost it's flavor or spice at all. Made paprika, cayenne, and ancho powders, plus the crushed red pepper like you get for pizza (it's just Anaheims allowed to go red is all). I've tried to do cumin for years but I've never gotten the seeds to germinate. Plus of course the herb ones, rosemary, oregano, etc.

My best results have been to run them through a $5 food processor I got off Craigslist, which takes them down to a pretty good grind. Then that goes into the blender to finish it off. I've never gotten it as smooth as what you buy at the store... probably because half the time I leave the seeds in.... but the flavor is always a hundred times better.

One year we ground up habanero to powder so the Mr. could slip it into the snuff can of a guy at work. I wasn't thinking and took the lid off the blender as soon as I was done, and got a face full of nuclear dust. Now I leave them to sit for a few hours!

Oh if you have a surplus of zucchini (who doesn't) you can try shredding it, drying it, and then using it over salads for crunch. One time I took the shredded stuff and packed it into little crouton shapes and dried that, but easier to just use the shredded.

 

You are welcome Tully Mars!! And, yes the coffee grinder is great. When I did the de Arbol chilis, I used my little ninja and then the coffee grinder. It works great.

 

Thank you, ditch witch, for the idea on the Zucchini. I have some and am going to put them in the dehydrator.
And, I think the home made powders are so much better than the store bought.

 

Hi chelloveck, I checked the prices and they are very reasonable for the air horns. Great idea. Thank you very much.