by Kenton Turner

Created on: January 09, 2008

Many of today's favorite foods were created out of necessity. Chiles were originally dried simply because they store better that way. However, drying them also deepens and changes their flavor. Chiles are dried by different methods. Sun-drying is the simple process of laying them out in the warm dry air and allowing the sun to dessicate them. Smoke-drying is used for chiles that are too meaty to sun-dry effectively, such as jalapeno chiles. Smoke-dried jalapenos are better known as chipotles. There are, in fact, many different varieties of dried chiles and they can be used in different ways. And just as there is more than way to dry a chile, there is also more than one way to rehydrate them. For all methods, you should always start with the best quality chiles you can find. Depending on the chile variety, they should be either papery thin or leathery, but they should never be brittle or stale. They should have an even coloration, which varies from type to type.

Ancho chiles are the large and spade shaped dried form of the poblano chile. They are typically dark brown, almost black in color. They have a thick flesh which should feel leathery and wrinkled. They have a fruity smell similar to raisins or prunes, some people even think they smell chocolaty. These make a dark reddish brown, mild flavored sauce that is rich and smooth.

Guajillo chiles are the typical dried red chile most commonly used. They can be bright reddish orange to dark red in color, usually shiny and smoother than ancho chiles. Their flesh is thin, but should still be pliable and not brittle. They make a sharp, tangy and spicy sauce with a bright red color.

When it comes to rehydrating chiles, the quick-and-dirty method will work just fine for most applications. It is best used when there is no need to impress anyone, or when time is short. Simply tear the tops off several chiles, shake the seeds from them, rinse them under cold water and pop them into a pot with enough boiling water to cover them. Allow them to simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes until they have become soft and pulpy. Either let them cool and chop them into pieces as needed or drop them into a food processor or a blender with as much of the liquid from boiling as needed to reach the desired consistency. Start with less liquid than you think you'll need and add more as needed, blending them until smooth. Season to taste.

The above method will work just fine, but it lacks refinement and pizazz. If you want to make the chiles sing

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