Can Dried Chiles Make Great Salsa?
Do these little raisin looking peppers really make a tasty and delicious salsa?
The dry chile can be ground to a powder, soaked and the flesh scraped off, pureed or roasted to perfection.
Shop for dried pepper pods just like you would any other produce you plan to cook or eat.
Choose chiles that are whole, clean, and uniform in color and close to the same size.
Store the dried chiles in airtight containers in a cool dry place away from the light.
How to Grind Dried Chiles Into a Powder
Lightly roast the dried chiles over an open flame, in an ungreased hot skillet, or Comal, under the broiler, or in a hot oven. Turn once or twice for even roasting, taking care not to burn them, or they will acquire an unpleasant flavor.
Allow the chiles to cool slightly, remove their skins and stems, and break up the pods into small pieces. Place these in a blender or cleaned coffee grinder and process to a fine powder. Sieve the resulting powder through a kitchen sieve to remove large, unground flakes. Store in tightly sealed jars in a cool dark pantry to retain it flavor.
You can also vacuum pack the dried chile powder, then freeze. It will keep indefinitely in the freezer.
Note: When chile powder gets onto your fingertips, it can transmit a burning sensation to your eyes, nose and lips as easily as the oil from the fresh green chiles.
I love the aroma of chiles. Try not to inhale the dried chili powder or you will find yourself having a coughing fit.
Cooking with powdered chiles is extremely convenient, but what about those whole dried chiles?
“Thought you would never ask”
Here is a great tip for you.
