You actually can’t grow a chipotle pepper, because it isn’t a type of pepper in itself. A chipotle pepper is a Jalapeño pepper that has been allowed to ripen and go red, and is then smoked and dried.
This past summer I smoked the green and the reds that I harvested along side some Hungarian Hot Peppers and some Cayenne Peppers that I grew. Living on British COlumbia’s West coast, I am starting my seeds now (March) because I want my plants to be more established by the time they hit the garden, so that hopefully I will get more peppers turning red before the weather gets too cold for them.
I harvested my plants in early October, and smoked them in the back yard using our big chief smoker and some Alder wood chips. Some people smoke their peppers overnight, but I have not found that to be necessary. Mine smoked for about 4 hours and then went into the dehydrator at 125°F for about 16 hours. The dehydrator time will vary depending on where you live. Start at 10-12 hours and check on them.
You want to get the peppers completely dry so you might have to remove smaller ones sooner. I store mine in an airtight bag, and then grind them up with a spice grinder. The end result is a hot smoky sprinkle to anything from pizza, fried eggs, to sauces and soups. You could even make a hot sauce but you might want to blend the peppers before drying together it really smooth. Hot sauce is on my to do list!
As you can see the finished product is not quite a powder, we prefer ours like this because we love to sprinkle it on all kinds of things, you could blitz it for longer in the grinder and you would get a finer powder, or get a work out and do it by hand with a pestle and mortar. Either way the taste is great.
The whole process was super easy and if you don’t have smoker you can get a small smoker box and use a bbq. We’re starting our seeds so they will have 2 months inside before the last frost. We live in Zone 9.
Are there other vegetables you smoke and dehydrate? Please leave your ideas in the comments! and as always:
Grow – Eat – Repeat!
I’m incredibly grateful for the freedom to be able to grow my own food and the space to do so. I respectfully acknowledge that I live and work on the Tla’amin Nation territories. I am also grateful to God for bringing me to this beautiful place and blessing me with the abundance of this garden.
Moon Snail Microstead 