• If you need help identifying a pepper, disease, or plant issue, please post in Identification.

dried Chipotles

Nakana

Nakana

Sorry if this is in the wrong thread...admins feel free to move it

Anyways, I'm fairly new to the pepper growing thing and have always liked spicy food and am just moving into the deeper/hotter waters.
I like to use chipotles mixed with other peppers in my bbq rubs and chili powders, but was wondering if anybody makes their own and how they go about it, because I usually have a jalapeno plant or two and would like to turn them into chipotles to have on hand through the winters.
Also any suggestions for better peppers to use are also appreciated.
 
You need a smoker that will cold smoke or at least smoke at fairly lower temperatures without any water-pan or other added moisture. There are so many great varieties of chile and many of them are great smoked, but jalapenos and paprika types are always a good starting point.
 
If you can hold you hand comfortably on the smokestack of your smoker, the temps are low enough.....95-105F.

In Mexico, chipotle takes 2 or 3 days and it is really smoke drying. Many different chiles can be made into chipotle.
 
Thanks guys. I've got a little cheap-ass upright brinkman smoker and will probably use that later this summer. Should be able to keep the temps low enough for it, the issue will be makin sure the fire stays low but doesn't go out.
Also, what kind of wood works best? Mesquite or are others just as good?
 
I think it may be a challenge with a brinkman but not impossible. Mesquite is just about the stongest flavored wood and I like it for short term smoking, but there are many different wood choices. I usually like to use what I can get for free or cheap so I use a lot of maple and apple, but I still usually buy some mesquite and hickory as well for some stronger flavor.
 
Yeah, for my ribs, butts and just about any other smoked meat I usually go with apple or cherry, because those are the trees in my grandpa's orchard that usually gets some storm damage every spring. Sometimes my dad can get me Pecan from one of his clients in missouri as well.
I just didn't figure fruit woods would work too well at first, but the more I think about it, the more curious it makes me.
 
Mesquite is a slow-growing hardwood. Mexicans cut it because marketing has sold it to the gringo market. It is being overharvested in its native locale and plants are decreasing. Mesquite grows very slowly in the desert.

Maple, oak, hickory and fruitwoods are excellent for smoking and do not decrease plant numbers.
 
willard3 said:
Mesquite is a slow-growing hardwood. Mexicans cut it because marketing has sold it to the gringo market. It is being overharvested in its native locale and plants are decreasing. Mesquite grows very slowly in the desert.

Maple, oak, hickory and fruitwoods are excellent for smoking and do not decrease plant numbers.
Click to expand...

Amen Willard !

and instead of a piece of Salmon, have some Mackeral instead... or a few sardines...
 
Thanks for the input on the wood. I'm not a big fan of mesquite anyway, mainly for the flavor. I think when I give this a try I'm going to try and get some pecan off my dad or possibly go with oak if that doesn't work.
 
Also, smoked habs rule. ;)

.o0Oo00...imagine fatali chipotles...!!!

homer-drool.jpg
 
I'm hoping to find a decent hab plant this year. Didn't decide what I wanted to grow until it was too late to get seeds started, so now I'm stuck perusing the local greenhouses when they open here in a few weeks. Deffinitely going to have to make an order from THSC before next year.
As for smoking them, that could be really cool. I'm thinking about trying some with pecan wood and some with apple or apple/cherry mix when I get them going this summer.
 
Smoked fatalii are OK, but I usually prefer not to smoke the citrusy flavored peppers like fatalii, as I find it takes away from the great flavor
 
Got Smoke?

Good little project. Fun and the rewards are indeed special. I have a batch going as I type this. Keep it cool and never let the temp spike over 150 at any time. An average of 115-125 is ideal.

Drying them all the way down this way takes a loooong time. I find that smoking long enough so you can leave a fingerprint on the peppers and then finishing them in a dehydrator works just fine. I love the smokey smell of the peppers as they dry. Its true that I'll leave some smoke flavor in the smoker that way but, too many peppers, too little time.

Know your smoker and how it reacts to restricted venting for the amount of fuel added. If you are to error, do it on the cool side. You don't want to cook them.

Grind the finished product for addition to sauces, rubs, etc. You just cant find this stuff anywhere. Smoked paprika is inferior and costs way too much so, why settle?
 
scottborkowski said:
Good little project. Fun and the rewards are indeed special. I have a batch going as I type this. Keep it cool and never let the temp spike over 150 at any time. An average of 115-125 is ideal.

Drying them all the way down this way takes a loooong time. I find that smoking long enough so you can leave a fingerprint on the peppers and then finishing them in a dehydrator works just fine. I love the smokey smell of the peppers as they dry. Its true that I'll leave some smoke flavor in the smoker that way but, too many peppers, too little time.

Know your smoker and how it reacts to restricted venting for the amount of fuel added. If you are to error, do it on the cool side. You don't want to cook them.

Grind the finished product for addition to sauces, rubs, etc. You just cant find this stuff anywhere. Smoked paprika is inferior and costs way too much so, why settle?
Click to expand...

Mmmmm.

Made chipotle gravy for my biscuits yesterday........
Oh YEAH BABY.

dried chipotle powder.

:cheers:
 
Smoking habs this afternoon on the remnants of the coals from the Ribs I'm getting ready to throw on in a bit. Thinking only smoke for 2-3 hours as they're going into sauce later tonight. Don't see the need to dry them, then reconstitute them.
 
cheezydemon said:
No, but cut them in half, otherwise they will get not much smoke.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I've got a nice basket that fits over the edge of my smoker, so cut em in half and give em a couple hours over the coals and hickory is the plan.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top