Pepper drying process
Drying is an important step for making black pepper seasoning. The fruit shape of pepper is very small, and impurities are easily generated during the picking and sun drying process. Uneven drying may cause the pepper to become damp and moldy, affecting the quality. The purpose of using the heat pump dryer to drying pepper is to allow the peppercorns to receive the circulating air that flows evenly in the closed drying room. The intelligent temperature and humidity control device is installed in the drying equipment and carry out precise heating and dehumidification treatment, which can timely remove the water in the fruit body of black/white pepper. The drying temperature is 50℃-65℃, and the drying process should separate into different stages. When the black pepper changes from green yellow to dark brown, the drying process has been down thoroughly, and the moisture content will be controlled within 12%.
The process of white pepper is more complicated than that of black pepper, and it needs to undergo soaking and peeling treatment. Picked mature white pepper ears should be soaked in running water for about 10 days, or even longer, until the pulp rots, and then rinsed vigorously. You can use other auxiliary tools to remove impurities such as the skin, flesh and stems of the pepper. The purpose of using running water to soak is mainly to maintain the whiteness and fragrance of white pepper after drying. The purpose of drying white pepper is to make the moisture content of white pepper from about 50% to within 12% after drying. The higher the temperature, the faster the white pepper is dried, however, in order to unify the volatile oil characteristics and drying efficiency, the temperature should be set at 50°C-55°C, and the time should set about 10 hours. The aforesaid drying process is equivalent to 5 days of sun exposure. The more uniform and sufficient the white pepper is dried, the longer its shelf life is. After the white peppers are roasted and cleaned, they could be vacuum-packed for storage.