Principe Borghese and sun drying

[jackarmy]

So deciding weather to sow a few of these (another from the tom seed swap) and apparently they are dead good for sun drying , in sunny Wales ? , really ? .

Anyway , just watched a vid on making a sun dryer out of beer cans , is that the only way in the uk or can the sun actually do the job on its own ?

thanks in advance.

Or maybe a dehydrator ?

[Thelma Sanders]

I've dried them on a board in the greenhouse - does that count? lol
but you could dry them in a dehydrator, if you have one?

[jackarmy]

If its been done then im sure it does count Thelma, how long did it take roughly ? and was that in the autumn or as they matured ?.
still contemplating getting a dehydrator for chillis but yea, if it works for toms then thats another plus for them.

[Alison]

I do toms in my dehydrator. Cherry ones just cut in half and bigger ones in chunky slices.

[Thelma Sanders]

If its been done then im sure it does count Thelma, how long did it take roughly ? and was that in the autumn or as they matured ?.
still contemplating getting a dehydrator for chillis but yea, if it works for toms then thats another plus for them.

As soon as a batch ripened, in the Summer, I put them on a board hanging from the ridge (with an old net curtain over to keep the flies off) I'm sorry I can't remember how long they took.....but think it was more than a week.
I think it gets too damp at night for them to dry in our Autumn weather *sigh*

[Thelma Sanders]

I do toms in my dehydrator. Cherry ones just cut in half and bigger ones in chunky slices.

Do you add salt to the ones in the dehydrator? the ones dried outside do need quite a lot of salt on them.

[PyreneesPlot]

I grow them for drying, usually outside, but last year I did them this way as well, especially near the end of the season!



Worked a treat and sometimes we took them up the mountain with us when we went walking if it was sunny up there and cloudy down here

[Alison]

Do you add salt to the ones in the dehydrator? the ones dried outside do need quite a lot of salt on them.

Didn't put any salt on them. Why did you do it?

[sparrow100]

I dry mine in slices in the dehydrator. I add some herbs to some layers & dry till they are crispy. We've one jar left and I've hidden them from OH - got bored of slapping his wrists for stealing them.

Warning re drying chillies in a dehydrator - make sure there's a window or two open, particularly if they are very hot ones. The fumes are something else!

[Thelma Sanders]

Didn't put any salt on them. Why did you do it?

Because that's how I was taught to do them when I lived in Greece - it's the traditional way.
The salt helps dry them out and acts as a preservative.

[Alison]

Because that's how I was taught to do them when I lived in Greece - it's the traditional way.
The salt helps dry them out and acts as a preservative.

Interesting, I've never been taught, just had a glut so gave it a go

[snakeshack]

dry my toms in the dehydrator (no salt), chillies I use a needle & thread and thread them through the stalk then hang up in the kitchen, they usually just stay there until I cut them off for use. I also use a hot smoker followed by the dehydrator to process jalapenos for fake "chipotle" chilli paste but it does need processing in a hot water bath after it has been sealed in jars.

[Bren In Pots]

I've sown Principe Borghese for the first time yesterday so hopefully I'll get a good crop to dry.