Smoked Chiles / Chipotles Question

[Carter]

Hi,

I was scouting around the site looking for info on making Chipotles.  I found this from last fall.

http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=12472.0

Overall and excellent article, but it seems like a very long process. 

I was thinking of trying Smoking for 4 hours & then putting the Jalepenos/Chipotles into the dehydrator.

Any reason why that wouldn't work?  Is it better to dry them slowly in the smoker?

Just curious if anyone has any experience they would mind sharing.

Thanks

Carter

[deb415611]

Carter,

Pensrock has done them.  Hopefully he'll be along soon.

Deb

[FLBentRider]

I seem to remember a post where you want to do the dehydrating OUTDOORS.

Or maybe that was the grinding, or both.

If I filled the house with pepper fumes, I'd have to sleep in the RV.

[squirtthecat]

Ditto.

If you grind them, do it outside - with a respirator..

[pensrock]

3-4 hours of smoke should work fine, Cut the peppers in half first and put cut side down. Chipotles are typically made from red ripe jalapenos although green ones can be used but the flavor will be a little different.
Dehydrate and grind outdoors, I'm speaking from experience.  ;D

[BuyLowSellHigh]

You can also make chipotle in adobo and can if you wish.  Here's a link on the prep:

http://foodiemama.com/Canning-and-Preserving-Food/Chipotles-in-Adobo-Sauce.html

[Carter]

Hey that's great.  Thanks everybody.

One more question:

While in the smoker, are you hot smoking or cold smoking?

I don't think I've ever seen a red Jalapeno before.  They're always green in our market.  I grew Jalapeno's last summer and I've got my seedlings growing in my kitchen right now (as well as a couple of Poplano seedlings), but living in Toronto, I don't believe our season is long enough to get to red.

Carter

[BuyLowSellHigh]

In TX we'll see red ones in the stores toward the end of summer into fall.  I grew 'em in MI when I lived there.  Put 'em in the ground as small plants the end of May and if they had full sun they would make it to red by September.

[pensrock]

Green jalapenos will become red if allowed to fully ripen. I normally smoke them around 130-150 F.

[Northern_Smoke]

i am a few weeks late posting this but i did it with red peppers. Put them in for 5 hours and then dehydrated them with the food dehydrator. It worked out really good but please listen to the people when they say grind them outside. I did mine inside and let me tell you. First you smell them which gives a tingling sensation and then the nose starts running. While you are getting a Kleenex you take a deep breath and figure you just swallowed something alcoholic that is about 180 proof and then lit it on fire. The whole time you are breaking a sweat because of all the overload to your body. Well, the worst is yet to come...all that fine chili powder sticking to your sweaty forehead and then running down into your eyes....at least that's what i have been told ;) The only thing i noticed is that when i put them in the food processor to grind, only about half of the seeds turned to powder. I had to screen it when i put it in the container. Anyways, the end result is a nice smokey flavor but very hot.

[Habanero Smoker]

I wish I could get red ripen jalapenos in my area. Once I purchased green ones hoping they would ripen, but that did not work out well. Removing the seed prior to grinding would decrease the heat level.

Lately I've been using a burr coffee grinder that I use solely for grinding spices. That is the way to go. It does a real good job of grinding the spices to a consistent size; even seeds. Right now I have a inexpensive one that lets too much dust escape, but planning to upgrade soon, after I do a little more research.