Bright red peppers make a decorative addition to your kitchen while drying.
All chili peppers are part of the genus Capsicum. There are five different species, and many more cultivars of chilies, that make up this genus. The most popular cultivars of chilies for drying are from the species Anaheim and New Mexican. To dry the fresh peppers, string them together on a piece of waxed dental floss, using a sterilized sewing needle. Hang the string of peppers along a kitchen wall until dry. You can grind dry chilies into powder using a blender, coffee grinder or food processor.
No-Heat Chilies
The amount of the oleoresin capsaicin found in the chili pepper is the best indication of how hot the pepper will be when eaten. Some chilies contain little to no oleoresin capsaicin. These peppers, when dried, will add flavor to chili powder without adding any heat. Plant cultivars of chili peppers such as NuMex Conquistador ("no heat" variety) or sweet banana peppers. A chili pepper called the NuMex Sweet has a sweet taste. You can add the Numex sweet to chili powder or use alone for sweet paprika.
Low-Heat Chilies
Chili peppers that contain a small amount of oleoresin capsaicin are very mild in taste because the amount of capsaicin they contain is nowhere near some of the hotter varieties. When drying any pepper, the amount of heat will increase from when the pepper was fresh. Look for varieties like "New Mexico 6-4," "NuMex R Naky" and "cherry." Varieties such as these will add sweetness and a touch of heat to your chili powder.
Medium-Heat Chilies
A chili pepper that is right in the middle of the heat scale is the "Nu Mex Big Jim." This variety of pepper is just a bit milder than the average jalapeno. Developed in 1921 at New Mexico State University, the "New Mexico Number 9" is a chili pepper known for its medium heat flavor. It is the result of a cross between two other peppers, the "Chile Pasilla" and "Chile Colorado." Other peppers with medium heat are "New Mexico Number 6," "Rio Grande 21" and the "NewMex Joe E. Parker."
High-Heat Chilies
Chili peppers with high heat contain the largest amounts of oleoresin capsiacin. When harvesting, cutting or hanging these peppers always wear latex gloves, as large amounts of capsiacin can irritate your skin. Never touch your eyes when touching these peppers. Plant varieities of chilies like "NuMex Bailey Piquin," "Sandia," and "Expanola Improved" to add the most amount of heat to your chili powder. You may mix different varieties of peppers in chili powder. Combining a hot pepper with milder ones will add a sweet and spicy taste to your chili powder.
Tags: chili powder, chili pepper, oleoresin capsaicin, your chili, your chili powder, amount heat, amount oleoresin
