Making your own chipotle peppers?

[Flat Rocker]

I'm curious if anyone has taken ripened, fresh jalapenos and smoked them to make their own chipotles?
I've seen a few things online about making sure they get completely dried out by any number of methods. Some people have saved the finished peppers in that form and others have ground them into powder.
I'd like to give it a try later in the summer when there is an abundance of veggies at the Farmer's Market. I'm not sure how long or what temperature to smoke the jalapenos at and then use the sun or electric dehydrator to finish the job.
Would cold smoking them, similar to nuts and cheeses, work to impart the smoke flavor and then the task would be to just get them dried out? Otherwise I'll be using my Blaz'N Grand Slam to do the job.

Thanks for any suggestions, advice, or better yet, recipes.

[Sephon]

I'm interested in learning this as well.

Good question!

[CaptainMike]

We do this every year with peppers from our garden, and not just the jalapenos. We let them fully ripen to a nice red color, smoke with hickory on the Bradley with no heat, finish in the dehydrator, then grind about half into powder and save the other half for later use. I use the powder often in rubs and marinades.

[EdF]

Sounds great. We don't have very many peppers this year, but ... things change! You're talking a cold smoke, right?

[CaptainMike]

EdF, the Bradley puts off a little heat, about 100 degrees, as it smokes the pucks. I go about 12 hours then finish in the dehydrator. I've tried taking them all the way at 225 but they never seemed to get as dry as the dehydrator can do. On a side note, not a big fan of the Bradley, but it works really well in this instance.

[EdF]

Thanks, CaptainMike !

[johnec00]

We do ours similar to CaptainMike except that we smoke for 6 hours at 125º, then finish drying in the dehydrator overnight. I've found that to get the maximum "smokiness", the peppers need to be cut open so the smoke can permeate the wetish inside (I also remove the seeds prior to smoking, but that's personal preference). My favorite use is a fairly mild pepper garnish that's great on eggs, hash browns, and grits. I've never bothered with pictures, but I'll take some next time and post. Here's a picture of the garnish all ready to scatter among family and friends at Christmas time.

[EdF]

Sounds great!

[customtrim]

What's smoked zavory

[johnec00]

customtrim - see post number 7 below . . .

https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/forum/the-pit-mastery-program/other-side-dishes/531313-making-your-own-chipotle-peppers?p=531470#post531470

[JEFinCLE]

I've done it several times with good results. I always did a hot smoke (250ish) with a lot of white oak. Stopped there, but I like the idea of using a dehydrator to get them drier before grinding.

What will surprise you is how much they shrink in the drying process.

If you want the cleanest flavor, when they're dry, pop the stems off, split them in two and shake out as many seeds as you can. Then grind just the flesh without the seeds.

I moved away from the place where I had a big garden a couple years ago. I was all set to try making the canned chipotles in adobo sauce the "next" season.

From your own garden or from a good farmers market, I will also suggest you buy cayenne and chile de arbol peppers and dry them. I always did them just by stringing them up on some upholstery thread. You will love the difference between home dried and store bought powders. In fact, I never ground them until I needed them. I would just pop a couple off the string, and crush them in a mortar and pestle or run them though a coffee grinder.

[johnec00]

I agree with you 100% on the seeds JEFinCLE, they just add bitterness. That's why I remove them before the smoke/dehydrate.

[customtrim]

Thanks for the ideas

[CaptainMike]

Yessir, we do cayennes, pasillas, and paprika as well.

[CaptainMike]

Hmmm, might have to split and deseed this year

[johnec00]

I'd like to put in a word for the Zavory peppers. They are a variety with all the flavor of the Habanaro but with very little heat (100 Scoville) and bright red color. Used in the garnish, they really dress up the flavor without having to spend the night on the throne. I've never seen them in stores, but many seed suppliers have them.

https://www.burpee.com/vegetables/peppers/pepper-hot-zavory-prod000820.html

[treesmacker]

Those pics of Zavory peppers look beautiful. I'm going to have to try some. I've always been afraid to try Habaneros, but did accidently get one in the middle of a burrito served at friends house, and yes, I was on the throne at 4AM with burning exit.

[JEFinCLE]

While the subject is on everyone's mind, if there are pepper gardeners out there I will suggest Scotch Bonnets over Habanero. They're similar in heat (SB's not quite as hot) but the SB's have more flavor. I grew them to make Jamaican Jerk seasoning. I ended up using them in all sorts of things. John, if I get a garden going again, I'll try the Zavory.

[EdF]

johnec00 My wife is the green thumb around here, but she doesn't like the hot ones. Last year she grew something that was supposed to taste like Habaneros, but without the heat. They were pretty good. Unfortunately I don't know the name of the variant.

[johnec00]

Hi, EdF - I've had one other so-called mild habanero variety. It was called Numex Suave. They were OK, but the flesh was awfully thin, so it took many peppers to make any powder. I just liked the Zavory better when I "discovered" them.

http://www.tomatogrowers.com/NUMEX-SUAVE-ORANGE/productinfo/9735/

[EdF]

Thanks! johnec00

[Pirate Scott]

The Zavory looks real interesting, I will add it to the growing list. I am doing Cascabel Peppers this year which are just below a Jalapeño.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascabel_chili

[Flat Rocker]

I'm glad to see that others are interested or have already done this. I'm not sure if I'd cold smoke them using the Blaz'n Smoker Pro (similar to the A-Maze-N tube) or if I'd crank up the smoker at a low heat, and I'm still curious how long to let them go which ever method was used? I'm also guessing that once you get the peppers dried out that they need to "rest" for a while before using? How long would you suggest, a week, month, several months? The problem with trying something new like this is that by the time I get it done and sample the finished product, the supply of peppers will be gone for the year and there won't be an opportunity to do a new batch should the first one not turn out well. Thanks to everyone in the Pit for the great suggestions.

[JCGrill]

I more or less followed this

https://www.thespruceeats.com/step-by-step-guide-to-making-chipotle-chilies-334476

How long? Your call, I'd give them at least 3 hours of smoke. I don't have a dehydrator so I finished mine in a low oven. Worked out well, but I did get a smoked pepper odor in the house.

Once done they pretty much keep forever. I also break off the top and shake out the seeds.

[JEFinCLE]

Don't mean to sound flip, Flatrock, but don't overthink this. It's really hard to do it wrong. I hot smoked mine in a BGE until they were completely dry...like crumble in your fingers dry. Took a few hours...4 or 5 maybe?? I think it would be hard to use too much smoke for chipotle...of course I thought that about ribs at one point in my life, but that's another story. I promise, even if you do a crappy job, it will taste as good or better than commercial chipotle powder.

[Flat Rocker]

Point well taken, thanks. I'll give it a shot some day..

[NukeGuy]

I smoke all types of hot peppers. I cut them in half then skewer them and smoke at 225F till dry. Crumble the dried peppers into a big jar and cover with olive oil. I use the oil as a condiment and an ingredient in other stuff.

[DrWhat]

Does everyone smoke theirs for drying? I was thinking of trying to do chipotle in adobo sauce. Would you smoke them the same way as above, just not finish them in the dehydrator and instead pack them in the sauce?

[NukeGuy]

Does everyone smoke theirs for drying? I was thinking of trying to do chipotle in adobo sauce. Would you smoke them the same way as above, just not finish them in the dehydrator and instead pack them in the sauce?

I smoke mine till dry but your idea would work I'd think. I thinks the shelf life would be weeks though.