# Dehydrating Green Chilis



## BlueFeather (Jan 9, 2013)

Have any of you dehydrated canned or frozen chopped green chilis? I've been wanting to try this but not sure if it will taste the same in sauces. Any help and info?
TIA
BlueFeather


----------



## haley4217 (Dec 16, 2012)

I was in Hatch, New Mexico couple of months ago. One of the chili shops in town was selling dehydrated chili. They roasted and peeled them before dehydrating. To me the flavor was great, the dehydration seemed to concentrate the flavor without affecting the heat. I've also started buying and using dehydrated jalapeños and find them to be great for seasoning in soups, stews, roasts.


----------



## Resto (Sep 7, 2012)

I just Grow them, then Sun dry them.
Put them in a Coffee Grinder for Rubbs. Rehydrate them, roast, then seed peel and stuff with CHEEZE.
They are easy to grow.

PS. Trust Me, there is Nothing you can do to a Chile Pepper that will make it taste any different.


----------



## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

haley4217 said:


> I was in Hatch, New Mexico couple of months ago. One of the chili shops in town was selling dehydrated chili. They roasted and peeled them before dehydrating. To me the flavor was great, the dehydration seemed to concentrate the flavor without affecting the heat. I've also started buying and using dehydrated jalapeños and find them to be great for seasoning in soups, stews, roasts.


I was in Hatch, New Mexico a couple years ago. We had lunch at a restaurant where the locals ate. It was far from a classy place, more of a local place with really good food. I had an enchilada with an interesting green chili sauce. It was like a green gravy. It was great, but it was nothing like anything I had ever had before.


----------



## BlueFeather (Jan 9, 2013)

I have a couple cases of cans of chopped so I'll try a couple cans and see what happens. Will let you know how they turn out. I may try to powder some for sauce too. We luv a good green chili sauce! Just want good flavor - not heat. I dried some bananas to use in banana bread but haven't had a chance to make it yet. And I'm working on some new elk carving designs. A little bit crazy at our house right now. :eyebulge:


----------



## SmokeyNJ (Jun 12, 2013)

After freezing the cell walls break due to crystallization, so they will 'weep' as they thaw. Canned should be ok, just really pat them dry with paper towels. 

I worry about the juice dripping onto the coil in my dehydrator, the fine 'fruit leather screens' might help too to save some of the flavor/juices.

I have a bunch of frozen red bell peppers and tried a couple of pieces, they did weep a lot but turned out better when rehydrated vs dried while fresh, By that I mean frozen re-hydrated quicker


----------



## BlueFeather (Jan 9, 2013)

Well, the test results are in! Did two cans. Drained and rinsed, then spread out on the nonstick sheet. They came out very thin little flakes and seeds. Rehydrated a tsp full in some hot water. Fine for cooking. Not as fluffy as before but the taste is still very good. Even dry they taste pretty good and a little crunch. I could powder them, but think ill just use them as is in scrambled eggs, sauces and mexi dishes.
Will try frozen next just to see the difference.


----------



## BlueFeather (Jan 9, 2013)

I also did the frozen chopped chilis. Came out great. So we can do canned or frozen. It was a large bag of frozen and only filled a pint jar when dry. It took 10 med sized cans of chopped to fill a pint. Two cans will fit on one dehydrator tray. Just don't open the lid on the dehydrator! If they are dry they will blow right off the tray! oops:


----------

