I finished off the last jar of Blueberry-New Mexican Chile Jam that I prepared using the recipe in "Sweet Heat". I used it for cheese plates and as a base for both grilled meat sauces and BBQ. But I wanted to improve it. Adding the powdered chile at the end just did not result in the texture I desired.
The original recipecalled for:
48 oz blueberries
2 TBS lemon juice
1 packet (0.75 oz) fruit pectin
4 cups granulated sugar
2 TBS New Mexican red Chile powder
So, I had some Ancho and New Mex chiles from the local Mexican grocery. They were both still flexible, thus fresh - if that makes sense for a dried pepper. I stemmed and seeded the Anchos, tore them in half and toasted for a few moments in a dry skillet. You can see a slight color change towards a lighter tobacco color. I then soaked the chiles in hot water for 30 minutes, drained and pureed them. If the water is bitter, use 1/4 cup fresh water instead of the soaking liquid.
I substituted 2/3 cup of this puree for the 2 TBS of chile powder in the recipe. Tasting it, it seems about right for a sauce base where other spices will be added. I made a second batch with New Mexican Chiles and it was brighter and hotter. The second one will be for cheese plates.
All this made me think of drying some chiles and making more jams this fall. I will add that Rick Bayless pushes his rehydrated chiles thru a sieve to catch any errant seeds of tough skins. If this were not for personal use, I would also take that step.
If anyone tries something similar, please share.
The original recipecalled for:
48 oz blueberries
2 TBS lemon juice
1 packet (0.75 oz) fruit pectin
4 cups granulated sugar
2 TBS New Mexican red Chile powder
So, I had some Ancho and New Mex chiles from the local Mexican grocery. They were both still flexible, thus fresh - if that makes sense for a dried pepper. I stemmed and seeded the Anchos, tore them in half and toasted for a few moments in a dry skillet. You can see a slight color change towards a lighter tobacco color. I then soaked the chiles in hot water for 30 minutes, drained and pureed them. If the water is bitter, use 1/4 cup fresh water instead of the soaking liquid.
I substituted 2/3 cup of this puree for the 2 TBS of chile powder in the recipe. Tasting it, it seems about right for a sauce base where other spices will be added. I made a second batch with New Mexican Chiles and it was brighter and hotter. The second one will be for cheese plates.
All this made me think of drying some chiles and making more jams this fall. I will add that Rick Bayless pushes his rehydrated chiles thru a sieve to catch any errant seeds of tough skins. If this were not for personal use, I would also take that step.
If anyone tries something similar, please share.
