What to do with all those Chiles

I am sure we have all seen chiles either in recipes or at the markets. You know, the ones we don't know what to do with or what they might be used for. Well I have found this list that might be helpful to us all. I hope you find it useful, I did.

Know what will work best for your Chili Pepper Recipe.


Anaheim or California green Chile:

Named after the California city. Slender green chili about 6 to 8 inches long with rounded tip; mild flavor. Also known as New Mexican chilies. Substitute: canned green chilies. This is the peppers I use for chili relleno.

Ancho Chile

Dried form of Poblano chili. Substitute: 1/2 teaspoon chili powder for each ancho chili. Used in sauces, it is an essential ingredient in mole. Also my favorite for tamales.

Chipotle

Dried, smoked large jalapeño pepper. Dark brown and wrinkled. Smoky with a sweet, slight chocolate flavor. Use in salsas, sauce and soups. Pickled and canned in adobo sauce.

Habañero

Lantern-shaped chilies ranging in color from light green to orange, then red when fully ripe. Very hot. Used in seafood marinades, salsa, sauce and chutney.

Hungarian Wax

Also called "banana chili." Large - 3 to 5 inches long, up to 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Yellow chilies with a waxy appearance. Originated in Hungary. Slightly sweet, waxy flavor, mild to moderately hot.

Jalapeño Pepper

Small green or red cigar-shaped chili about 2 1/2 inches long; very hot. Known as chipotles when dried. Substitute: pickled jalapeños.





Poblano Chile

Large, dark green chili that resembles an elongated bell pepper plentiful in Texas and Southwestern states; ranges from mild to hot. Reddish-brown when ripe. Known as anchos when dried. Stuffed with cheese for chilies rellenos. Never eaten raw. Substitute: sweet green bell pepper.

Serrano Chile

If you are looking to make your chili pepper recipe hot this one will do the trick. Dark green to red chili 1 to 11/2 inches long; hot to very hot. Substitute: jalapeño pepper.

Thai Chile

Tiny - 1 to 1 1/2 inches long, 1/4 inch in diameter -and thin. Ranges in color from green to red when fully ripe. Extremely hot, lingering heat. Very popular in Southeast Asian dishes.