Capsicum annuum

Chipotle peppers are smoked dried jalapeno peppers. As the peppers grow, they turn red and begin to dry. These red jalapeno peppers are picked and smoked for several days until they are completely dry. The end product is called a chipotle pepper.

It takes approximately 4.5 kg of fresh jalapeno peppers to produce ½ kg of chipotle peppers.

STRENGTH: 2,500 - 8,000 SHU (medium hot)

FLAVOR

Chipotle chili is aromatic and slightly smoky, medium hot.

PURCHASE AND STORAGE

As with most Mexican chilies, we recommend that before using the whole peppers, you briefly toast them in a pan or in the oven at a high temperature and then grind them into a coarse powder or rehydrate them in boiling water (no more than 20 min because they become bitter), with the addition of water in which it has been soaked, briefly grind in a blender and press through a strainer to obtain a paste similar to plum marmalade. This paste, covered, will last several weeks in the refrigerator with the possible appearance of mold, which you must remove before use.

USE IN COOKING

This chili is primarily used in Mexican cuisine and Tex-Mex recipes.

It is used for various types of salsa sauce, and Chipotle powder is used in combination with other spices for adobo, a meat marinade. It is one of the main ingredients of barbeque sauce due to its famous smoky taste.

Beans are seasoned with it in the preparation of various stews and chilies, and it can be used with all meat dishes.