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Thread: Which varieties of chili peppers must have their skins removed?

  1. #1
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    Which varieties of chili peppers must have their skins removed?

    Which varieties of chili peppers are used without removing the skins? - and which types are roasted in order to remove the skins?

    There are cooking videos where some types of fresh chile peppers are simply chopped up and cooked without peeling them. It seems that all types of dried chili peppers can be ground up and used without removing the skins. However, in my area, the standard procedure for preparing locally grown green chile peppers for use as a fresh ingredient is to roast them and remove the charred skin.

  2. #2
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    I think you remove it because the charred skin is a little nasty to eat. The roasting is done to impart flavor to the meat of the pepper, removing the skin is incidental as far as I know. No reason other than taste and texture not to eat it. I've never heard of peeling a fresh, uncooked pepper prior to eating it.

  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by Stephen Tashiro View Post
    Which varieties of chili peppers are used without removing the skins? - and which types are roasted in order to remove the skins?

    There are cooking videos where some types of fresh chile peppers are simply chopped up and cooked without peeling them. It seems that all types of dried chili peppers can be ground up and used without removing the skins. However, in my area, the standard procedure for preparing locally grown green chile peppers for use as a fresh ingredient is to roast them and remove the charred skin.
    Poblanos are roasted and peeled, to make the poblano rajas. Jalapeños, serranos and habaneros may or may not be roasted, but I’m not familiar with anyone peeling them. Those are the fresh peppers I cook with here in Texas.

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    Anaheim Chilis are often what is in a can of 'green chilis.'

    Fresh they are often used without peeling. After roasting they are easy to peel. Roasting green chilis adds an enhancement to their taste.

    My latest thrill is the local Costco has a 40 oz jar of these babies that is less expensive than buying the little cans.

    Add these to a roasted green chili salsa with onions and cooked chicken, heat it up and serve it in burrito shells or over rice… YUMMY!

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Koepke View Post
    Anaheim Chilis are often what is in a can of 'green chilis.'

    Fresh they are often used without peeling. After roasting they are easy to peel. Roasting green chilis adds an enhancement to their taste.
    Roasting the peppers caramelizes them and sweetens them. This is great for a salsa or a sauce. Not roasting them leads to a greater “kickass”-like presence like you would want for nachos or a garnish. it’s a matter of whatever flavor tone you want.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Doug Dawson View Post
    Roasting the peppers caramelizes them and sweetens them. This is great for a salsa or a sauce. Not roasting them leads to a greater “kickass”-like presence like you would want for nachos or a garnish. it’s a matter of whatever flavor tone you want.
    To get a little "kickass -like presence" adding a few jalapeño peppers seems to do the trick for me.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  7. #7
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    This can be a bigger rabbit hole than buying a wood lathe, and you are in downtown. I do not skin anaheims for salsa, but I do roast and skin jalapeno's for salsa. It is a thing, like rake and splay angles on chair legs or how wide to make your breadboards relative to your tabletop length. Get some cash out of the bank and go hit some food trucks to see what you like.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Stephen Tashiro View Post
    Which varieties of chili peppers are used without removing the skins? - and which types are roasted in order to remove the skins?

    There are cooking videos where some types of fresh chile peppers are simply chopped up and cooked without peeling them. It seems that all types of dried chili peppers can be ground up and used without removing the skins. However, in my area, the standard procedure for preparing locally grown green chile peppers for use as a fresh ingredient is to roast them and remove the charred skin.
    I see that you live in New Mexico. Consider yourself lucky. The local chile that you are seeing roasted all over the place is the New Mexican green chile, the season starts in August and goes through September, maybe early October. Especially in Northern New Mexico where at that time of year, you can smell roasting chile everywhere. The classic way to do large quantities is using squirrel cage over a high btu gas burner.
    They are roasted because the skin of a NM green is quite tough and not particularly digestible. Roasting over open flame is the easiest way to blister and separate the skin from the flesh, and then easily peel it off. The skin of many other varieties of green chile is not so tough and can be eaten without removal. Although, you always have the option of charring and skinning any fresh chile. An example would be a common Anaheim green chile like the type that is found in most produce sections all year round, and also in cans. This chile can be peeled or not peeled.
    However, comparing an Anaheim chile to a New Mexico green is like comparing a hardware store chisel to a Blue Spruce.

    As you mention, dried chiles are a different animal altogether. Regardless of variety, they are usually ground as is, or sometimes toasted and then ground, or sometimes soaked to rehydrate and then blended into a salsa in a food processor, blender or for the purist, a molcajete.

    Green poblanos, which have a thicker flesh, are usually charred and peeled because they too have a tough skin. Chefs (like me) are accustomed to roasting and peeling common bell peppers too, especially if they are being used whole or in a more delicate type of sauce. The common way of doing it is over the open flame of a gas range and then once charred, placing it in a paper bag to steam for a few minutes before peeling either dry or some prep chefs do so under running water.

    People who are very knowledgeable about chile are just like wine fanatics. They will consider there to be a huge difference between NM chile from the southern Hatch valley and the NM chile from northern NM (say the area around Espanola or Chimayo). If you ever find yourself at a party with a pretentious chilehead, just casually say you're partial to Espanola Big Jims, and he'll put out his fist and say respect.
    Last edited by Edwin Santos; 04-17-2021 at 11:17 AM.

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Edwin Santos View Post
    People who are very knowledgeable about chile are just like wine fanatics. They will consider there to be a huge difference between NM chile from the southern Hatch valley and the NM chile from northern NM (say the area around Espanola or Chimayo). If you ever find yourself at a party with a pretentious chilehead, just casually say you're partial to Espanola Big Jims, and he'll put out his fist and say respect.
    I’m not a chile snob. One thing that came out after Tony Bourdain died was that he was a big fan of Popeye’s (and so am I, if you find a good one.) If I had to ask for a last meal, it would be this: a bunch of poblano rajas, thinly sliced marinaded charcoal-grilled and seasoned skirt steak, tossed with melting cheese in a hot skillet. And don’t forget the queso flameado with raw jalapeños (many people forget this) and homemade tortillas. This is the measure of a meal, IMO. I would then be happy.

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Doug Dawson View Post
    Poblanos are roasted and peeled, to make the poblano rajas. Jalapeños, serranos and habaneros may or may not be roasted, but I’m not familiar with anyone peeling them. Those are the fresh peppers I cook with here in Texas.
    +1 ^^^

    I always assumed it was just a matter of physical size of the chile. How would you peel something like a serrano or jalapeño? That being said, roasted chiles are DELICIOUS! The Central Market in our neighborhood does this whole thing diring Hatch season where they roast them out in front of the building. Man, that gets my mouth watering just thinking about it.

    Erik
    Ex-SCM and Felder rep

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Edwin Santos View Post

    Green poblanos, which have a thicker flesh, are usually charred and peeled because they too have a tough skin.
    Do poblanos turn red?
    I make a red pepper sauce by microwaving peppers and pureeing them. I usually use Hungarian wax, but last year I wanted to try poblanos, so I grew them. They fruited fine, but never turned red. Perhaps our growing season (WNY) is just too short, or maybe they just don't turn red.

  12. #12
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    Yes they do turn red but it does take a long time. I grow a variety that turns a beautiful deep mahogany color. After they turn color, the flavor also changes. Less bitter, more sweet. Awesome pepper.

    https://tomatogrowers.com/products/ancho-san-luis

    Just leave them on the plant as long as you can. Weather conditions will determine everything. Watch out for an early frost otherwise just leave them alone.
    Last edited by Dave Zellers; 04-20-2021 at 9:35 PM.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Erik Loza View Post
    +1 ^^^

    How would you peel something like a serrano or jalapeño?
    Never tried it with a serrano. For jalapeno, hold over a gas flame (use a fork) until blistered and blackened all over, drop in a paper sack, fold the top of the sack closed. Wait ten minutes. Shake the bag with the peppers in it. Lift out the mostly peeled jalapenos and finish peeling with a paring knife or similar, rinse, proceed with recipe.

  14. #14
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    Also re ripening- shortly after seeing signs of ripening, a pepper can be picked and finish on the counter. But obviously the longer on the vine the better.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Zellers View Post
    Yes they do turn red but it does take a long time. I grow a variety that turns a beautiful deep mahogany color. After they turn color, the flavor also changes. Less bitter, more sweet. Awesome pepper.

    https://tomatogrowers.com/products/ancho-san-luis

    Just leave them on the plant as long as you can. Weather conditions will determine everything. Watch out for an early frost otherwise just leave them alone.
    I presume that 65 to 80 is when they are harvestable as green. How much longer does it take to turn red.
    The fact that you are in New England is encouraging. Green peppers make a lousy sauce, but I want to try poblano.
    I tried putting the green poblanos in a paper bag, but all they did was get old.
    Last edited by Wade Lippman; 04-21-2021 at 3:16 PM.

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