How badly did i screw up drying these peppers?

[gunslingor]

These are arroz con pollo. I hung dried like 25, some seemed to turn black on inside and some on outside. I tossed the ugly ones, then I picked about 40 more. They sat on my counter about 5 days. Then I took all 65 and put em in the oven at 170 for 24 hours. Still not dry, also dried scotch botch in oven, I think those look better? Anyway, I left for europe for 10 days and couldn't leave the oven on, so I left then out to dry. The arrizo still feel wet, smells kinda orange-ish, and they went from nice normal red to this orange. What's edible what do I toss what do I process more and how?

 

[YumYum]

If the fruit is still flexible, it isn't dry enough. That is about the extent of my dehydrating experience. Maybe you can weigh them before and then after to see the % of water lost. I have used an electric dehydrator once with cayenne peppers with ok results.

In my area there isn't any real way to hang dehydrate anything. The humidity is just too high here and it won't dry out. I don't know your areas climate. My neighbor once had a solar powered dehydrater he used on apple slices that looked like what we would call a shadow box, if you want to look that up. Not sure about any vents or how he really used it because I never really saw his process. It did work though.

 

[big rockpile]

We dry Peppers in a Dehydrator and never had a problem.

big rockpile

 

[Tetters]

I dehydrate a lot of fruit and veg in my modest dehydrator, and when it comes to peppers I find it best to slice them before drying. They dry so much more quickly.

 

[gunslingor]

Yeah, I'm just wondering about these peppers, lol, should I toss them or dehydrate more... I guess I need a dehydrator, but not sure about these... they turned from red to orange... might be in multiple stages of half drying to have getting old. Probably not safe.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Probably not safe.

From what there is there to decompose I would think 'probably safe' is more likely, the nasties tend to be associated with high protein things. Not that I'm saying it is okay, but I would be happy to try a little bit to find out. I can't see it doing more than giving you a funny tummy for a bit at worst.
On the other hand you could give a bit wrapped up in meat to the neighbour's dog, just in case.

 

[Tetters]

They need longer to dry. You could cut them smaller now, and they do change their colour. It depends on the heat used. The dried stuff looks nothing like the fresh stuff, and it nearly all looks ugly when it's done. I pack mine into glass or plastic jars with a silica gel pack to take up excess moisture, and condition it for several days. This simply involves shaking the sealed jar and watching for signs of dampness - eg the glass steaming up. As long as this test is successful the food should be good.

Oliver - that is a wicked wicked idea

 

[Tetters]

Here's a picture of some professionally dried ones. Yours look much the same to me. Do them a bit longer.

 

[big rockpile]

From what there is there to decompose I would think 'probably safe' is more likely, the nasties tend to be associated with high protein things. Not that I'm saying it is okay, but I would be happy to try a little bit to find out. I can't see it doing more than giving you a funny tummy for a bit at worst.
On the other hand you could give a bit wrapped up in meat to the neighbour's dog, just in case.

I like Hot Sauce. Let the Dogs have the two won't touch it but the old Dogs says you don't know what you are missing.

big rockpile

 

[Oliver Buckle]

The silica gel idea sounds good, Tetters. Am I right in thinking they will dry out in the oven and be reusable?

 

[Tetters]

The only possible problem I can see is the 10 day interval with the drying process. It is impossible to feel the peppers for the testing from here. The only thing I can really add when it comes to keeping these is ''If in doubt - don't'' - use them that is.