# jalapeno peppers



## nopes67 (Apr 18, 2012)

I am wondering the best way to dehydrate Jalapenos....slice them, cut them in half lengthwise, or leave whole? Also can someone recommend the best way to chop them up..use a hand chopper, or food processor and what kind? I am planning on doing a lot for next falls goose stick adventure.


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## pops6927 (Apr 18, 2012)

Hello, nopes67 and welcome to the SMF forum!  Thank you for posting, and I am sure someone will be along soon to answer your questions.

In the meantime would you please drop into Roll Call and tell us about yourself and equipment, family, etc. so we can welcome you properly, plus also if you could enter your location in your profile.  Thanks again!


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## fife (Apr 18, 2012)

This it the place to learn all there is about smoking.


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## ritamcd (Apr 18, 2012)

The best way to dehydrate peppers is up to how whole you want to leave them ..  If you like them diced then go ahead and dice them . some people like to leave them whole but it takes a lot longer to dehydrate them .. What I would do is either nacho slice them or slice them in half ..

after they are dried you can always chop them when totally dried they should feel like a chip crispy and easy to break ...

I am not sure what goose stick adventures are tho


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## ritamcd (Apr 18, 2012)

Ohhh for the chopping I use a mini food processor if I want a small dice .. if I just want to slice them i use a knife because the peppers are a little to small for the food processor and will not be that uniform in slice because they get turned in the chute ..

GLOVES I wear 2 pair of latex free food service gloves whenever I handle any peppers


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## jirodriguez (Apr 18, 2012)

Made me some awesome smoked cayanne powder last summer! Here is the link:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/110551/diablo-powder

I still have a lot of that container left... and it is sooooooo goood!


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## smokinhusker (Apr 19, 2012)

Sounds like you already got all the advice you need! I've used fresh diced in my summer sausage and snack sticks, but I did smoke a couple batches of jalapenos, then dehydrated and ground with sea salt. My dad loves the stuff!


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## thoseguys26 (Apr 20, 2012)

SmokinHusker said:


> Sounds like you already got all the advice you need! I've used fresh diced in my summer sausage and snack sticks, but I did smoke a couple batches of jalapenos, then dehydrated and ground with sea salt. My dad loves the stuff!


Ooh, tell me more Husker! I've dehydrated Jal's before for Jalp Pwdr but never smoked them first. That sounds delightfully tasty. Please share.

nopes67 - For my first batch of jalepeno powder I sliced off the stem and sliced the peppers in half, length wise, and then dehydrated them until they were dry as could be. Ground them up in my magic bullet and out came perfect jalepeno powder. It has a sweet heat. awesome stuff.


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## ritamcd (Apr 22, 2012)

thoseguys26 said:


> Ooh, tell me more Husker! I've dehydrated Jal's before for Jalp Pwdr but never smoked them first. That sounds delightfully tasty. Please share.
> 
> nopes67 - For my first batch of jalepeno powder I sliced off the stem and sliced the peppers in half, length wise, and then dehydrated them until they were dry as could be. Ground them up in my magic bullet and out came perfect jalepeno powder. It has a sweet heat. awesome stuff.


I did some reading for you .. the best way to smoke Jalapeno's is to cold smoke them .. or smoke them on as low as heat as possible using mild wood oak pecan hickory etc .. as well as fruit woods .

you want to slice in half removing seeds and stems .. keep the pith if you want a spicier product .. place in the smoker for about 16 hours .. after this you will want to transfer them to a dehydrator to finish the product ..

I am not sure how much salt one would use .. I assume it would be salted to taste .. I would probably add it while cooking so I didn't get to much salt in whatever it is that I am cooking


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## smokinhusker (Apr 23, 2012)

thoseguys26 said:


> Ooh, tell me more Husker! I've dehydrated Jal's before for Jalp Pwdr but never smoked them first. That sounds delightfully tasty. Please share.
> 
> nopes67 - For my first batch of jalepeno powder I sliced off the stem and sliced the peppers in half, length wise, and then dehydrated them until they were dry as could be. Ground them up in my magic bullet and out came perfect jalepeno powder. It has a sweet heat. awesome stuff.


I wash and cut in half lengthwise, remove most of the seeds, but leave the veins and I've done them whole just removing the top. Throw them on the smoker at about 235* and let them go for a few hours, I usually a couple of racks along with some whole bell peppers and heads of garlic and whole peeled onions. Put them on the dehydrator til nice and leathery and then run them through the spice grinder a few times then add some coarse sea salt, I don't measure, I just taste to make sure I have an even flavor of the peppers and sea salt. I've also done the same thing with the garlic, bell peppers and onions. Dad calls it gunpowder and puts it on nearly everything.


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## southernsausage (Jun 29, 2012)

Sounds Great!


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## berninga87 (Jul 10, 2012)

Just ordered a dehydrator today, glad I found this thread. My pepper plants are gonna have me buried this year if I don't find a way to preserve them!


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