Making Dried Pepper Powders

Many Latin American recipes call for ground dried peppers of various textures; some are processed to a very fine powder, while others are as coarse as the hot pepper flakes that are sprinkled on pizza. Prepared ground peppers are available in markets, but nothing beats the pure flavor and freshness of home-dried peppers ground to your taste. If using already dried peppers, clean and prepare them as described on this page. You can toast the peppers briefly if you want a bit of a smoky flavor (see this page), but I prefer to skip that process to enjoy the essential flavor and color of the dried peppers.

To make pepper powders, butterfly the dried peppers if they are large enough. They should be dry to the point of brittleness. If they are still pliable and soft to the touch, spread them on a baking sheet and place in a 200°F/95°C oven until completely dried, usually about 1 hour. Rotate the baking sheet and flip over the peppers every 30 minutes to dry evenly. Let cool completely. Break into bits by crumbling between your fingers or chopping with a heavy, sharp knife. The smaller the pepper bits, the easier they will be to grind. Grind to a powder in a spice mill or coffee grinder. I like a coarse texture, but grind twice if you prefer a very fine powder. If you have a large, powerful food processor, you can grind large amounts in one batch to the desired texture. Or use the food processor to get a coarse powder and then pulverize that into a finer powder in a coffee or spice mill.

Preparing Dried Peppers

After cleaning, you can turn dried peppers into lively seasonings with four simple steps: seeding (for most large meaty peppers), toasting, reconstituting, and grinding.

Seeding: If your recipe calls for seeding, pull out the stems of large peppers and shake out the seeds. With skinny peppers, slice them open with a paring knife (or tear them lengthwise with your fingers) and wipe out the seeds with a paper towel. I like to butterfly large meaty peppers, such as ancho chiles, to ensure even roasting.

Toasting: Heat a cast-iron skillet or comal over medium to medium-high heat until a drop of water sizzles on contact. With seeded and butterflied peppers, press the cut side against the hot surface with a metal spatula for a few seconds. Turn the pepper over with kitchen tongs and press the second side against the skillet, taking care that the flesh toasts lightly but does not burn. A pleasant roasted pepper aroma is a good cue. Watch closely, especially with smooth, thin-skinned peppers such as guajillos and cascabels, and be prepared to snatch them from the heat if they begin to scorch. Meatier, more wrinkled peppers such as anchos and mulatos are less prone to burning and may take longer to roast evenly. Small whole peppers should be toasted for a few seconds and turned once with kitchen tongs.

Reconstituting: Mexican and Central American cooks typically reconstitute toasted dried peppers to facilitate grinding. In Bolivia and Peru where toasting is not considered a prerequisite, dried peppers are also soaked to soften. To do so, cover the peppers with warm water or broth and let them soak for 15 to 30 minutes or until soft. Alternatively, boil them in water or broth to cover for 20 to 30 minutes, until softened. Drain the peppers, reserving the soaking or boiling liquid for use in grinding or later cooking.

Grinding: Process the peppers in a blender or food processor or grind with a circular motion in a molcajete, the three-legged volcanic-stone mortar used by Mexican cooks. Add small amounts of soaking liquid to loosen as necessary, and grind until you achieve the desired consistency.

Buying Dried Hot Peppers

Sight and touch are the most important aspects of shopping for dried chiles in a market. If you are buying see-through packages of peppers, be sure to examine the contents carefully and avoid any with punctures in the wrapping. Try to feel the dried pods inside the package. The color, appearance, and texture should closely match the individual descriptions given in the Gallery of Dried Peppers (beginning on this page). The more you work with them, the more you will notice signs of peak or past-peak quality. For instance, if you get to know the pliant suppleness that a good-quality ancho or mulato should have, you will recognize that a stiff, woody feel indicates the peppers have been stored too long. Buy only as much as you need at a time. Dried peppers don’t stay in prime condition for more than 6 months; and you cheat yourself when you try to work with stale ones.

I have to stress that for all the glory of fresh peppers, dried peppers deserve equal billing. Their beauty is of a different kind, evoking the colors of an autumn forest filled with deep reds, tawny browns, dusky oranges, and subtly muted yellows. Slow, controlled drying reveals dimensions not present in the fresh fruit. By way of comparison, think of the flavors brought out in fresh dates, grapes, figs, plums, and apricots by drying. If fresh Mexican chiles and Andean ajíes speak to our tastebuds with bright clarity, the dried versions offer something fuller, deeper, earthier, and more evolved. Yes, they can be added to cooking sauces. But they come into their own when used as the true foundation of the sauce, binding all other elements in pungent but balanced harmony.

The dried peppers you choose to buy may depend on how you mean to use them. Larger specimens are preferable for stuffing, while size doesn’t matter as much when you use them for sauces. The firmer, more intact, and free of crumbled bits they are, the better. Contrary to my advice for fresh peppers, choose prepackaged over loose, dried peppers if possible.

Dried peppers show up for sale at a range of different venues. Years of experience have led me to a sobering realization: At many stages from field to display bin, dried peppers are left open to contamination by small animals or insects. I now think it is best to treat dried peppers from all commercial sources (including online sellers) as potentially unsanitary. I make sure to rinse them in plenty of cold water, drain them well, and spread them out to sit until bone-dry before going further. (If they retain any moisture, they will steam later on, instead of roasting.) Of course, these precautions are unnecessary if you do your own drying in a home dehydrator.