Chillies are a good source of income to farmers in a relatively short time. Learn how to harvest, dry, grade and store chillies. Reducing losses and increase income.
Harvest only ripe chillies, if unripe ones are harvested they are sorted. Harvesting should be done during sunny days with gloves or wash hands with soap, lemon since heat from chillies transfer to your hands.
Proper drying
Then evenly spread chillies in sun while turning for proper drying. However do not dry on rocks, iron sheet, plastic sheet since chillies will dry too much.
Use rack or wooden logs for drying to avoid moisture absorption from the soil and turn chillies hourly for evenly drying. Then spray on mat over night if not fully dried and avoid parking so that the dried ones do not mix with the half dried chillies.
Grading
Clean mat, dry, place on stands or rocks after use and grade chillies into 3 grades by removing unrelated particles, unripe chillies from good ones and store.
Avoid keeping chillies in polythene bags to avoid moisture from by park in dry, woven sacks and keeping them in dry, cool, shaded, well ventilated, leak proof room on wooden rack off the ground to avoid moisture from developing.
