Smoking Chillies

[OllieMartin]

I'm expecting a glut of chillies in the next few weeks and have been reviewing my options for preserving them.

Preserving in oil and vinegar is out of the window as these seem to be two risky options.

I've been looking at chutneys and relishes mainly, but then i remembered I've got a 'Smoker Bag'. Its a tin-foil bag with Hickory wood chips in it. You put meat or vegetables in it and put it in the oven.

Any ideas if this will work with chillies, will it improve them and will it help preserve them?
Any ideas?

[rustylady]

Interesting idea, Ollie. Worth a try, but not sure what the results will be. I just let mine dry, but I know several grapes freeze theirs.

[ginger ninger]

I've payed quite a lot of money in the past for "smoked paprika" Its yummy added to stews, risoto's, and lots of other meals, it gives a rich red colour and a melow smokey taste, my advice is give it a go....if you manage it.. I'll be p.m ing you for some

[Snadger]

Why do I comjure up a mental image of somone puffing away at a jalapeno after struggling to light the end?

I reckon a lot of veg could be hot or cold smoked to good effect!

[Hilary B]

Preserving in vinegar should be fine, it's moist things in oil that are risky.
Smoking might be a nice way of adding flavour, but unless it also dries the things, it won't preserve much.

[amandaandherveg]

I have my fingers crossed for a glut, if so, I fancied giving this a try:



Chipotles
Making your own chipotle chillis (smoked jalapeños)
Start early to allow 6 -7 hours of smoking
1 pound ripe red jalapeño or fresno chillis
10 pounds charcoal briquettes
Wood chips your choice (such as mesquite chunks cut into smaller pieces)

Cover wood chips in water and leave to soak. Mound about one half the briquettes into the charcoal pan and light. Wash the chillis and cut a slit lengthwise in each one from just below the shoulder to about a half inch from the tip. Place the chillis in a single layer (slit side up) on a tray or rack that will fit in the smoker and won't let the chiles fall through. When the briquettes are covered with grey ash, spread out into an even layer (if using a BBQ, spread the briquettes to the side leaving a bare spot in the center). Place some of the soaked smoke chips on the briquettes. Fill the water pan with 2 to 3 inches of water (if using a BBQ, use an aluminium foil pan that will fit in the bare spot in the center of the BBQ) and put in place over (or in the center of) the briquettes. Put smoker or BBQ rack in place, place the container of chiles on the rack over the pan of water, and cover the smoker or BBQ.

The idea is to keep a low-heat, smouldering, smoky fire for several hours. Add briquettes, smoke chips, and sprigs of fresh rosemary as needed to keep generating heat and smoke. After 6 or 7 hours, the chiles have probably absorbed as much smoke as they're going to. They should be a dark, brick-red colour and somewhat wrinkled but, they won't be totally dehydrated to a point where they would keep at room temperature. Remove them from the smoker and finish drying them in a warm oven or a dehydrator if needed.

[SarzWix]

We smoked chillis last year over the embers of a barbie, with the lid on (it's a kettle barbie). It worked really really well, and the OH was ecstatic about the powder he made with them. So I say go for it

[OllieMartin]

I have my fingers crossed for a glut, if so, I fancied giving this a try:



Chipotles
Making your own chipotle chillis (smoked jalapeños)
Start early to allow 6 -7 hours of smoking
1 pound ripe red jalapeño or fresno chillis
10 pounds charcoal briquettes
Wood chips your choice (such as mesquite chunks cut into smaller pieces)

Cover wood chips in water and leave to soak. Mound about one half the briquettes into the charcoal pan and light. Wash the chillis and cut a slit lengthwise in each one from just below the shoulder to about a half inch from the tip. Place the chillis in a single layer (slit side up) on a tray or rack that will fit in the smoker and won't let the chiles fall through. When the briquettes are covered with grey ash, spread out into an even layer (if using a BBQ, spread the briquettes to the side leaving a bare spot in the center). Place some of the soaked smoke chips on the briquettes. Fill the water pan with 2 to 3 inches of water (if using a BBQ, use an aluminium foil pan that will fit in the bare spot in the center of the BBQ) and put in place over (or in the center of) the briquettes. Put smoker or BBQ rack in place, place the container of chiles on the rack over the pan of water, and cover the smoker or BBQ.

The idea is to keep a low-heat, smouldering, smoky fire for several hours. Add briquettes, smoke chips, and sprigs of fresh rosemary as needed to keep generating heat and smoke. After 6 or 7 hours, the chiles have probably absorbed as much smoke as they're going to. They should be a dark, brick-red colour and somewhat wrinkled but, they won't be totally dehydrated to a point where they would keep at room temperature. Remove them from the smoker and finish drying them in a warm oven or a dehydrator if needed.

Sounds interesting, what's the pan of water for though?

[ginger ninger]

We smoked chiles last year over the embers of a barbie

Sorry, All I could visualize was a plastic Barbie Doll going up in flame's .

[OllieMartin]

Well I tried the smoking bag.

As I suspected, the bag retained too much moisture and they just went blackened but stayed soggy. The problem is that you need enough heat to make the wood chips smoke, but not so much that you actually cook the chillies.

I pulled them out and put them in the dehydrator.

[bubblewrap]

Was a tad worried when I saw the thread title I had visions of a kind of red tobacco rolled as a new kind of fag ................................would it burn my lips? .

[OllieMartin]

It'd definately sting the back of the throat!