Someone mentioned that it couldn't be done to use the Smokette as a dehydrator. Ha! First, I did the chipotles to perfection, and now I just took out a load of shrooms...dried to perfection. So...it can be done!
Original Post
Replies sorted oldest to newest
quote:Originally posted 4 Sep 01 by Andi:
[qb]Tom: I cannot believe how perfect my chipotles turned out with just the Smokette. It was not at all labor intensive and they are a beautiful black/red, snap when bent, and I started with the green ones! Photos to come...as soon as we can.[/qb]
Where are those pics!! My wife has a few hundred various peppers that we had to harvest to avoid freezing temps. She wished we had a better grill to smoke them on, I gave her a duh look and reminded her we have a smoker. She retorted she didn't want bbq peppers. Told her the smoker wasn't the bbq, but she didn't understand the difference.
So I asked her to give me a couple dozen to play with using the 150. cat grin
Thanks for all your recipes! I'd help you in making a "Moose Pass" recipe book.
Q
Lamar
Andi,
Now you're required by forum regulations to post how you did it to "perfection" since everyone in the lower 48 has a problem with Humidity staying so high in the Smokette.
If photos aren't here yet, how about instructions?
Smokin'
Now you're required by forum regulations to post how you did it to "perfection" since everyone in the lower 48 has a problem with Humidity staying so high in the Smokette.
If photos aren't here yet, how about instructions?
Smokin'
Okay, guys. First, I dunno. The chipotles are so perfect, and the schrooms took a bit of time, but I think the key is, low temp. I did nothing to the peppers or the schrooms to prep. Just stuck them in there and let them rip. Maybe I have an instinct for this? I dunno! Maybe I don't have to worry about humidity like ya'll do? I dunno.
The reason the pics aren't there is cuzza Spouse's lay-off. We can't afford to have them processed. I know you said to send ya the film, but we got silly and took some stuff other than smokin', so I thought it unfair to have you pay for personal pics. Nothing wierd! Unless you call our friend Buddy covered in PBR boxes and posing as the PBR-batron wierd! And, there's a Moose head shot or two that might gross ya out. None of me! LOL! Ya want I should send? There's two of those throw-away camera jobbies.
The reason the pics aren't there is cuzza Spouse's lay-off. We can't afford to have them processed. I know you said to send ya the film, but we got silly and took some stuff other than smokin', so I thought it unfair to have you pay for personal pics. Nothing wierd! Unless you call our friend Buddy covered in PBR boxes and posing as the PBR-batron wierd! And, there's a Moose head shot or two that might gross ya out. None of me! LOL! Ya want I should send? There's two of those throw-away camera jobbies.
Tried jerky according to cs rewceipes and results were flavorable, but the product was rather soft aqnd pliable. Ive been making jerky for over ten years using a dehydrater and my idea of jerky is a dryer product that will keep indefinitly uncovered. The jerky I made in the cs developed mold in 3 or 4 days. Ithen tried it again, leaving the meat in for 6 plus hours. Had to throw everything out. My question; Canyou make dry genuine jerky that will keep indefinitly inthe open air, as you can with "old time" jerky in a cs? If so, and Ireally hope so, please lt me know! Thanks.
Okay, you should know the schrooms I'm drying. These are Hedgehogs, so named because instead of gills, they have what look like quills, or stalagtites underneath. Russ calls them toothed. They are very large and very meaty. They are white and grow in old growth Spruce here. There are several varieties.
I cut them into big thick slabs and by the time they were done in the CS, they had all fallen thru the racks. Russ is making me some SS screens at work. Anyway, they come out like bacon bits, only bigger. Especially if I put a little smoke on them. Russ and friends ate the first batch like popcorn. I am smoking and drying them to grind for a seasoning, half which I will mix with sea salt, and half I'll leave plain.
I imagine any meaty schroom would work. Dry is dry. Took over 24 hours for mine. I didn't think there was much "leftover" wood in the box, but they smoked (or was that moisture coming out the vent?) for a couple of hours. I can't tell you what rehydration is like cuz one, I haven't done it yet, and two, I am smoking these to grind. (If I can keep the boys away from them!) I put up 30 lbs. of partially baked w/butter and garlic this morning. I put them in ziplocks and freeze in two-person measures. I keep adding more shrooms to the pan, and leaving the juices and any butter not absorbed. The last batch is cooling now and the juices are so concentrated and delicious, we are having Mushroom Soup tonight with them.
If you have a schroom book, look up Hedgehogs. Or, try the internet. They are inpossible to mistake for anything else. Russ found a biggun by the mailbox this morning! We are going out tomorrow for more. They taste like the store-bought meadow shroom...maybe just a tad stronger and sweeter. Really good!
I cut them into big thick slabs and by the time they were done in the CS, they had all fallen thru the racks. Russ is making me some SS screens at work. Anyway, they come out like bacon bits, only bigger. Especially if I put a little smoke on them. Russ and friends ate the first batch like popcorn. I am smoking and drying them to grind for a seasoning, half which I will mix with sea salt, and half I'll leave plain.
I imagine any meaty schroom would work. Dry is dry. Took over 24 hours for mine. I didn't think there was much "leftover" wood in the box, but they smoked (or was that moisture coming out the vent?) for a couple of hours. I can't tell you what rehydration is like cuz one, I haven't done it yet, and two, I am smoking these to grind. (If I can keep the boys away from them!) I put up 30 lbs. of partially baked w/butter and garlic this morning. I put them in ziplocks and freeze in two-person measures. I keep adding more shrooms to the pan, and leaving the juices and any butter not absorbed. The last batch is cooling now and the juices are so concentrated and delicious, we are having Mushroom Soup tonight with them.
If you have a schroom book, look up Hedgehogs. Or, try the internet. They are inpossible to mistake for anything else. Russ found a biggun by the mailbox this morning! We are going out tomorrow for more. They taste like the store-bought meadow shroom...maybe just a tad stronger and sweeter. Really good!
Lamar! Tell the Spouse that the first thing to remember is a smoker is an oven. An oven with a smoker box. You can use it w/o smoke. The low temp is perfect for drying. Check your dehydrator! If it's not a variable temp, like mine, then it's at 150. The CS goes even lower! So...it's a natural.
Black Dog: You should raise the temp a bit. And pasteurize in a 165 oven for 10 minutes after your jerky is done to your liking. Let it cool and then pasteurize.
Black Dog: You should raise the temp a bit. And pasteurize in a 165 oven for 10 minutes after your jerky is done to your liking. Let it cool and then pasteurize.
Not to disagree Andi, but a lot of people won't have the same success with a CS Smokette because of Humidity. We receive lots of questions about drying and dampness in the end result. Problem is -- the CS is soooooooo well made.
Part will depend on where you live and the amount of moisture in the air.
Part depends on the CS itself. If you put a batch of jerky in there, it will come out as described above. If you could measure the humidity, you would see that it's very high.
The only modification I would make for someone down here is to open the door to allow some humidity out. It will extend the smoke, but if you're getting a "moisture" dried product than you want, this will help that problem.
Just another method. Everyone has to learn how to make it work for them.
Part will depend on where you live and the amount of moisture in the air.
Part depends on the CS itself. If you put a batch of jerky in there, it will come out as described above. If you could measure the humidity, you would see that it's very high.
The only modification I would make for someone down here is to open the door to allow some humidity out. It will extend the smoke, but if you're getting a "moisture" dried product than you want, this will help that problem.
Just another method. Everyone has to learn how to make it work for them.
It may well be a regional factor. Or the luck of the draw. I really have no answer, other than, lucky me! 
Now everyone will want to move to Moose Pass to learn from the Master.
That's Missus Master to you, Sonny! LOL! I am going to experiment much more with this thing and work it out. And, get this, I have one of those 1001 Electronic Project kits from years ago, bought to ease Cabin Fever. It has a humidity tester thingy, I forgot what those are called. Anyway, the wire will fit down Smokettes Blow-hole! Way cool!
Hello CS,
Mesquite smoked about 35-40 peppers; cayenne, jalapeno, chile, green
pepper. Slit half of them and cooked at 150* in a 150. Put them in at
40* at 3pm, opened door at 6:30, 7:45, 10:15, 5:45, 10:00am, removed
small peppers (20) [maybe could have removed cayenne's at 5:45 but was
sleep walking then], removed rest (20) at 3pm. They looked and smelled
great, a sweet smoke aroma with the pepper warning. Maybe not the
green peppers, they stuck to the grill with a syrup tug to them, thank
you Pam. Slicing I would not do next time, they did fine
without slicing. One of the cayenne's released the seeds perfect
within the complete skin, nice music.
Q,
Lamar
Mesquite smoked about 35-40 peppers; cayenne, jalapeno, chile, green
pepper. Slit half of them and cooked at 150* in a 150. Put them in at
40* at 3pm, opened door at 6:30, 7:45, 10:15, 5:45, 10:00am, removed
small peppers (20) [maybe could have removed cayenne's at 5:45 but was
sleep walking then], removed rest (20) at 3pm. They looked and smelled
great, a sweet smoke aroma with the pepper warning. Maybe not the
green peppers, they stuck to the grill with a syrup tug to them, thank
you Pam. Slicing I would not do next time, they did fine
without slicing. One of the cayenne's released the seeds perfect
within the complete skin, nice music.
Q,
Lamar