After harvest my dry chilli loses its red colour and sometimes gets black mould patches. How do I dry it correctly?
How do I dry red chilli (mirchi) properly to keep good colour and avoid mould?
MMallikarjun5mo ago · 250 views
5 Answers
🌾Farmer.in Krishi TeamExpert ✓5mo ago
Good drying decides the colour and the price of dry chilli. Harvest fully ripe, deep red pods, since under ripe pods dry to a dull colour. Dry the chilli down to a safe low moisture so it does not get mould and black spots in storage, because incomplete drying leaves moisture that causes fungal blackening and aflatoxin risk. Sun drying on clean surfaces is common but takes time and can fade colour and pick up dust, while solar dryers and proper drying yards give cleaner, better coloured produce. Spread the pods in a thin layer, turn them for even drying, and protect from rain and night dew which set drying back and cause mould. Bright colour, full pods and proper dryness are what fetch a premium and avoid rejection. After drying, store in dry, clean, airtight conditions away from moisture. Ask your KVK about improved dryers and any subsidy.
NNaga Raju5mo ago
Since I started drying on a clean tarpaulin off the bare ground and covering at night against dew, my chilli colour and grade improved a lot.
SSubba Rao5mo ago
Picking only the fully ripe deep red pods made a clear difference to colour. When I mixed in part ripe pods to harvest faster, they dried to a dull shade and pulled down the grade of the whole lot. A clean colour sort at harvest pays at the mandi.
EEswar Rao4mo ago
Turning the pods for even drying and spreading them thin stopped the patchy black mould I used to get. Where the pile was thick and underneath stayed damp, those pods blackened. A thin layer turned regularly dries evenly and avoids that.
PPadma Rani4mo ago
Dry the pods down fully before bagging, half dried chilli blackened and got mouldy in store for me. I check that the pods are properly crisp and rattle before I store them. Storing in a clean, dry place away from any damp also kept the colour and avoided the mould.