Paprika bugs?

[Luckylies]

I just opened two different containers of paprika. In one I found a fully growing colony of little bugs with brown shells, in the other there was a white caterpiller-like bug walking around. Both of these jars came from my moms house (infestation?) but they were from different stores and countries. What the hell? anybody ever hear of these freaky little bugs? Hope I haven't been eating them

[fifi]

The bugs are beetles (I forget the genus and species) and the white thing is its larvae. They are very common in any kind of ground peppers. I store my paprika and various chile peppers in the freezer for a while to kill off the eggs that are just part of dealing with ground peppers.

[Wolfert]

How long doyou store freshly ground paprika and dried peppers in the freezer in order to destroy the lavae ?

[fifi]

I read somewhere that two weeks works but I have no idea if that is true. I just end up keeping it in the freezer in a glass canning jar. That keeps it fresh and the jars keep it from picking up other flavors.

[sparrowgrass]

I have had the same experience--moving paprika or chile powder. I now put all flour and spices into the freezer for at least 48 hours before I put them in the cabinet.

[ludja]

I started keeping my paprika in the freezer after this thread...

paprika pests

[origamicrane]

hmmm... how about heat treatment? or a quick blast in the microwave ?

[savvysearch]

Gross. This thread is creeping me out. I now have to go check all my flour and spices.

[Sthitch]

hmmm...  how about heat treatment? or a quick blast in the microwave ?

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It should kill them, but I suspect that the heat would adversely effect the flavor and longevity of the paprika.