Nutrition
| Per 100 g | Per 1 oz (28 g) | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 300 kcal | 85 kcal |
| Protein | 14.3 g | 4 g |
| Fat | 3 g | 0.9 g |
| saturated | 0.3 g | 0.1 g |
| Carbohydrate | 54.8 g | 15.5 g |
| sugars | 39.8 g | 11.3 g |
| Fibre | 11.3 g | 3.2 g |
| Sodium | 68 mg | 19 mg |
Estimated from the ingredients, for the finished dried product. Actual values vary with the produce you use and how far you dry it.
Ingredients
- 1.6 kg fresh Anaheim peppers
Instructions
- Wash the peppers and dry them. Throw out anything with a soft shoulder or a split down the side, because damaged flesh rots instead of drying.
- Halve each pepper lengthwise and pull out the stem and seed core. Anaheims are mild enough not to need gloves, but wash your hands before touching your face regardless.
- For rehydrating later, leave the halves as they are. For powder, slice them into strips about 5 mm wide so they dry evenly and grind cleanly.
- Lay them skin side down in a single layer, not overlapping. Skin down keeps the flesh facing the airflow, which is the side holding the water.
- Dry at 50 °C for 10 hours. Start checking early — thin-walled peppers can finish well before a thick one would.
- They are ready when a piece snaps instead of bending. Anything leathery needs longer; a leathery pepper in a sealed jar will mould.
- Cool them on the tray, then rest them in a loosely covered jar for two days, shaking it each morning. Condensation on the glass means one piece was thicker than the rest and the whole lot goes back on a tray.
- For powder, grind the dried strips in a spice grinder and sift out the skin flecks. Let the dust settle before opening the grinder.
- Keep them in a jar in a dark cupboard. Whole halves hold their red for far longer than the powder does, so grind only what you are about to use.
