Smoking Chillies

As we regrettably enter the very end of the 2013 chilli season some of you might be left with some chillies, either fresh or frozen during summer for use come winter.

Of course we are the first ones to incite people to use their crop to make beautiful fresh chilli jams, oils, chutneys and much much more but if you want to try something a bit different then why not smoke your pods?

Pretty much any chilli can be smoked from a Jalapeno to a Moruga Scorpion although cold smoking is the best option as you wouldn’t want your chillies to cook when using a hot smoker. We use a ProQ cold smoker generator combined with a home-made box with trays in order to maximise the use of space and it works like a charm.

In order to smoke chillies you need to cut open the pods (you can leave the seeds in if you wish) to allow the smoke to enter the flesh as much as possible, you can of course halve them as well if you are in a bit of a rush for them to be done. Our ProQ runs for about 10 to 12 hours each time but you can double that time if you want your chillies to achieve that heartier smoky flavour that so many people go crazy for.

Choosing the right type of wood dust to smoke chillies is important and many different flavours can be achieved but out of all the ones available out there (Pine, Beech, Cherry, Apple, Alder, etc…) we have to admit that good old Oak is our favourite.

Once the smoking is done you need to dehydrate your pods which can be done in a few different ways. We use a traditional dehydrator (prices start at £30 usually) but you can use the oven on low temperature for a few hours and even air dry them if you have an airing cupboard (although beware that you laundry might take on the smoky smell!).

Once dried out keep the smoked pods in a sealed container away from light or turn them into powder or flakes. Trust us, nothing beats a good chilli con carne with a bit of smokiness to it or even better, a smoking hot (pardon the pun!) sweet potato soup or chicken stuffing but the possibilities are truly endless so let your imagination run wild!