Dried Chipotle Pepper.

[nuraman00]

A recipe calls for rehydrate or canned chipotle pepper.

I bought dried chipotle peppers. Can I just mince them dried, and use them like that? I plan to use them in chili.

[kathyaskinner]

Can dried chipotles be rehydrated, then cut up and then dehydrated for a dry grinder seasoning recipe. The dried chipotles are so difficult to cut up so softening them would make this process so much easier.

[scubadoo97]

No reason to rehydrate. Toast them in a pan or a few seconds in the microwave to dry them out and they will grind to dust if you want.

[TongoRad]

I have had success making chipotle powder (and morita powder, for that matter) with a dedicated coffee grinder, and I find that the drier the better. I can usually manage to tear them up a bit and remove the stem without assistance, but don't break them down much more than that. Maybe one or two cuts with a chef's knife would do the trick if they are too hard for you. Usually the process requires two grinds- after the first time sift the powder into a bowl with a fine strainer, you will be left with a bunch of larger bits in your strainer which will go back into the grinder for another go.

I fear that if you use your process with rehydrating you will lose flavor to the water, which inevitably happens.

[the_MU]

At the place I used to work we would take the whole dried peppers, stick them in a (metal) bowl of water, and put the bowl in the oven while bread was baking. They would be fully rehydrated in about half an hour. This produced tender whole peppers ready for any recipe, plus gave us a bowl of spicy, smoky pepper water to use for flavoring other things. I bet it would be really good in bloody marys, along with, maybe, some extra pickle juice.

[scubadoo97]

I buy dried chipotle and make my own chipotle in adobo. Often I'll take a few of the dired ones and put into the spice grinder to make chipotle powder. Very easy

[zkw1003]

Hi. I am interested in your recipe for making the chipotles in adobo. I always have left over when I buy the canned, so I would be interested in making a smaller amount.

[Cherylptw]

You don't really need to toast them as they have already been dried and the soaking will soften them... If you like the pepper spicier, don't remove the seed...just soak them in hot water until softened, about 15 minutes then drain and either chop or puree to add to your recipe.....

[Shane Greenwood]

True, you don't have to toast them. But toasting dried chilies is a very common prep that brings out the flavor more. You'll find that is a common step in many recipes. It also makes the chilies a little more pliable and thus easier to get a more precise cut, if that's something you need.

[miss louella]

Shane, have you tried this with dried chipotles? They are almost powdery when you start. It's hard to imagine toasting being a good idea.

[Cherylptw]

Agreed Miss Louella; some dried chiles are okay to toast but (and I keep a cabinet full of assorted dried chiles) dried chipotles are very hard, thick and wrinkled to begin with and toasting them would make them harder...they don't get pliable unless soaked...perhaps Shane is talking about a different chile.

[Shane Greenwood]

You toast them for about one minute in a skillet. It brings out the flavor and they get a little softer as some of the oils are released from the pepper.

[Shane Greenwood]

FYI, here is a link with some more information on toasting dried chillies if you want to learn more about it. This works with any dried peppers.

http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/tool...

[Shane Greenwood]

I'm referring to whole dried chillies, not the powdered stuff.

[Cherylptw]

Okay, that looks like anchos that they're working with which is a thinner skinned chile...chipotles lose moisture when smoked which results in a hard chile...now, I'm not saying it hasn't been done but to toast a rock hard chile serves no purpose and since it's already smoked, toasting doesn't add to the flavor...but to each his own.

[scubadoo97]

I agree FWIW

[Shane Greenwood]

"toasting doesn't add to the flavor"

Hmm, sounds like you haven't actually tried it. Toasting most definitely brings out some different flavor notes. It is a matter of taste and not necessary, but you will find this method in quite a lot of recipes for a variety of peppers, including chipotles. But yes, to each his own.

[scubadoo97]

The majority of chipotle peppers I get are moritas. These are small and red. The larger brown chipotle I can see maybe toasting but the moritas are so small and hard I can see hydrating them only to dry then toast them if I'm going to be grinding them up. They are plenty smokey as they are.

[Perilagu Khan]

A chipotle is a smoked jalapeno. Never heard of a morita. Perhaps it is a variety of jalapeno?

[scubadoo97]

http://www.foodsubs.com/Chiledry.html

Moritas are dried and smoked red jalapenos. They are very common in Mexico and in Mexico DF I see more moritas being used than the larger brown chipotle, but that is from my own expereince. I recently went to a local Mexican market which had many different types of dried chiles. They had a big bin of moritas and only small packages of the brown chipotles so I assume this is also a very common type of chipotle to the general Mexican community in my area of the US.

http://www.foodsubs.com/Chiledry.html

[Perilagu Khan]

Interesting. Thanks.

FWIW, the chipotles en adobo I use to make my chile (salsa) are red. I suppose that makes them moritas.

[Cherylptw]

I've toasted peppers; chipotles included...some are worth toasting as they add another dimension of flavor but all I taste is the same smoky flavor with a chipotle, whether it's toasted or not.

[Shane Greenwood]

I just made a similar recipe and this was the method for working with the dried peppers: Slice them in half and remove the seeds and stems. Toast them in a dry pan on medium heat for about 1 minute (the color will slightly change and they'll become more pliable). Put them in a bowl and cover with cool water. Soak them for 20 minutes. Then you're ready to put them in your recipe.

[nuraman00]

Thanks!

[Becca Porter]

I toast dried chipotles as well as other chilies. I soak in hot water though. As directed in my Rick Bayless books.

[Shane Greenwood]

He's a great resource for traditional Mexican cooking and techniques. I especially like his salsas, lots of great flavors.