Chile Pasado Recipes

Steps:

• Roast the chile pods on a charcoal or gas grill until the pods blister and start to turn black, turning often.
• Remove them from the grill and place in a plastic bag with a wet paper towel for ½ hour.
• Remove and carefully peel the skin off, leaving the stem and seeds intact.
• Tie four pods together by wrapping string around the stems and place over a line outside in the sun.
• Do not let the chiles get wet by rain, and you can protect them from flies and other insects with by wrapping them lightly in cheesecloth.
• Drying time varies with humidity levels, but dry them until they are very dark and brittle.
• To store, break off the stems and place the dried pods in a zip bag and then place in a second zip bag.
• Place in the freezer for optimum results, especially if you live in a humid climate. Because they are brittle, breaking off the stems will sometimes cause the pods to break into strips and other pieces.
• To reconstitute the pods, place them in a pot of boiling water for 1 minute.
• Remove from the heat and let stand for five minutes.
• Remove from the water and drain. Use them in any recipe calling for green chile in any form except whole pods.