Homemade Smoked Chipotle

Instructions

1. Step 1

   First, you need a good clean smoker. Grease, oils or food particles from past smokes will leave a harsh and undesirable flavor on the chiles. Some people who make a lot of chipotles have a smoker for just this.

2. Step 2

   Once you have the smoker good and clean, start the fire. You will need to do a long smoke. Depending on the moisture in the chiles you might be looking at more than 24 hours so plan on adding coals to the fire periodically.

3. Step 3

   Wash and dry the jalapeños. Remove the stems and make sure they are in good condition. Place the jalapeños in a single layer on the rack and close the lid. Chipotles are best smoked with a fruity wood, but oak or hickory work well also. You will have good chipotles when the jalapeños have dried, become light in weight and a rich brown color. During the smoking process​, move the jalapeños around periodically and keep a close eye on the fire. Ideally, you should keep a cool, smoky fire that doesn't cook the chiles before they dry. Try for a consistent temperature of about 180 F / 82 C. There really is an art to this so don't be discouraged if it doesn't work out the first time.