Pepper drying is a common food processing method. There are two main methods of drying peppers: drying in the sun and automatic drying in a dryer. Among them, the drying method is relatively simple, that is, spread the peppers evenly under the sun for drying. Although this method is cost-free and extremely simple, it is not only inefficient but also requires a very large area for the peppers to be dried and is very susceptible to the weather. When it is rainy and cannot be dried, the peppers will become mildewed and rotted . So at present, many pepper growers and pepper processing manufacturers have begun to use the second method of pepper dryer for drying.
The moisture content of pepper raw materials is very high, generally 75% to 85%. Set the temperature of the chili dryer to 40°C-60°C for hot air drying. At first, the relative air temperature is lower than 70%, and after 5 hours, the relative humidity of the air drops below 52%. After 12 hours, the relative humidity of the air is all lower than 40%. Therefore, the productivity of hot pepper drying operation is mainly determined by the temperature of hot pepper itself, rather than the ability of hot air to carry and discharge moisture. From the perspective of ensuring that the nutritional content of hot peppers after drying is not affected and improving productivity, the temperature of hot air for hot pepper drying is taken as 60°C-70°C is suitable.
