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Hi everyone.

I was wondering if anyone has dried their harvests in the basement? I am currently doing this with my peppers and so far, I am having great success. Does anyone else do this? I am using a hanging mesh dehydrator. I have been tryin to research why there wasn't any information or details about doing this in the basement. Or is this not a good idea?

I don't have a basement so maybe that is one reason. Actually, I guess if your basement is dry, and you have good air circulation, you could have good results. I dry my seeds on a screen on my lanai. It doesn't always work out unless the humidity cooperates. If it rains a lot the seeds will get moldy.

I have had great results drying peppers in the car. We found this out accidentally, when we left peppers on the dashboard at work when the car was parked in the sun. It actually was able to dry the peppers out perfectly in a day. It was better than oven drying.

I currently don't have a basement either, but in my previous experiences, basements have been musty with excess humidity. I suppose if I had a clean, finished attic, I might consider that area more likely. I imagine if you have pest problems (bugs, rodents) in any of these areas, open-access mesh would not be a good idea.

Do a Google search for Excaliber Dehydrator.

This is the one I use. Yes, an electric dehydrator. It has 9 trays and has been excellent.

so far I am having some good success using the basement, I learned that colder air is 'thirsty' air. So it will suck mositure out of anything! The peppers are drying well, and the seeds dry twice as fast! They need only a week downstairs and they are good to be packed for next year!

It is hard to fine a house with a basement in Tennessee we get so much rain it turns into a swimming pool under the house.

When I lived in Illinois we had a basement it required a dehumidifier to keep down mold and mildew.

When I lived in Arizona I was very surprised that old part of town houses had basements and they had a terrible problem with mold and mildew.

I have a dehydrator with trays that stack up about 12 layers high. I have not used this in a few years but I use to slice vegetables put the pieces on the trays 12 hours later they were dry ready to go into zip lock plastic bags. Sometimes I did this in the kitchen and sometimes on the back porch.

I got a little update on this. So far I am having awesome success! I am using a hanging dehydrator and it sits in my basement, so far I got chili peppers and small hot peppers that are perfect for flaking. The only issue I have had with it is the yellow peppers tend to mold unless the green tops are taken off of them. Other than that, they are perfect!