De-Stemmed Organic Chipotle Morita Chiles
De-Stemmed Organic Chipotle Morita Chiles are red, ripe jalapeño peppers that have been smoked, dried and then de-stemmed for convenience.
Suggested uses
Basic prep
For maximum flavor dry toast chiles in a hot skillet until fragrant or in a 350° oven until puffy and fragrant. Rinse product first with warm water. Soak in hot water for 10 minutes to rehydrate or add directly to recipe that will cook at least 10 minutes. Once rehydrated, dice or purée and add to a recipe.
Storage & handling
Store in a dry, cool place.
Ingredients
Organic Chipotle Chiles.
Our De-Stemmed Organic Chipotle Morita Chiles are fully ripened, smoke-dried jalapeño peppers, de-stemmed for your convenience and certified organic to the specifications of the USDA National Organic Program.
When picked early in the season, jalapeños are green – it isn’t until late in the season that the jalapeños lose most of their moisture and begin to turn red. After the ripe jalapeños are harvested, they are then dried and smoked, turning them into chipotle chiles. Allowing the jalapeños to fully ripen gives chipotle chiles an inherent fruity-sweet flavor, since the chile has more time to create and store sugar.
Chipotle morita chiles average about 1-1/2 to 3 inches in length, 1/2 to 1 inch in width, and have a deep reddish-purple color and smoky-fruity flavor. Their heat level is mild to medium, ranging from 15,000 to 35,000 Scoville Heat Units, which is comparable to guajillo and mild serrano chiles.
There are two specific varieties of chipotle chiles – chipotle morita and chipotle meco. Chipotle morita chiles are smaller than chipotle meco chiles, as they are picked earlier in the season, often when the jalapenos are still somewhat green in color. Moritas are also smoked for a shorter amount of time, which allows them to retain much of their sweet, fruity flavor. These chipotles are the most widely used throughout the United States. Chipotle meco chiles are smoked for almost twice as long as moritas, giving them a deeper, smokier flavor and dusty brown color. They are also slightly larger than moritas, ranging from 2 to 4 inches long. Unlike chipotle moritas, chipotle meco chiles are not often seen or used north of their native Mexico.
The use of chipotle chiles is said to date back to the time of the ancient Aztecs, in central-southern Mexico. In fact, the name “chipotle” stems from the Nahuatl word “chilpoctil,” meaning smoked chile. Due to their growing popularity outside of Mexico, chipotle chiles are now grown in the United States as well.