in making chili yesterday, using a blender to “liquify” the rehydrated chilis was not that great.
Still had lots of chunks even after moving the contents around a few times.
Just too much vertical space in a blender with 10 rehydrated chilis.
I moved the chilis to a blade grinder, the kind one uses for herbs, nuts or coffee. That did the job, but of course, the device is not meant for wet.
I put roasted coriander and cumin seeds in the grinder after a wipe clean and that did work. The grinder, thus far, seems OK.
Would an immersion blender be better? Really don’t want another kitchen device, but …
Or does someone have a better method of liquifying rehydrated chilis?
My Mexican friend, who is also part Native American, and has roots in New Mexico, and has a lot .of experience with chiles, taught me thusly.: first take your dried chile pods and get the stem and dried seeds out. I do this while wearing latex gloves. When you are left with the dried flesh, put them in a pan covered with the warmest water you can get from your tap, or use boiling. Let the chiles sit an entire day or all night, then drain and blend. I use my Vitamix, but a food processor would work too. I think a hand blender wouldn’t be very effective. Hope this works for you. Maybe do them in half batches, if your blender doesn’t want to power through.
more liquid might do, but then more to cook off.
Blender has plenty of gas, but it shoots the chunks up the side rather than liquify.
Maybe food proc next time.
I use a spice grinder for the toasted seeds. I use either food processor or blender for the soaked chiles (after toasting them first) and use enough of the liquid they were soaked in to liquidate. Then using Rick Bayless method, fry in oil to concentrate taste and then use a strainer to get fine texture.
There are wet spice grinders specifically meant for this (for eg Indian blenders come with a chutney attachment, which is a small 1-2 cup bowl with a blade to do this). Like this, but there are different sizes, and you probably want a smaller bowl for your quantity. Check reviews for “chutney”.
If you don’t want another appliance, I grind small amounts of spices dry and add water afterwards. Gets you to a fine paste, but in the reverse order.
(Nutribullet is excellent for this stuff, but even the smallest jar is too large for small amounts.)
“If you don’t want another appliance, I grind small amounts of spices dry and add water afterwards. Gets you to a fine paste, but in the reverse order.”
Yea, was kind of thinking this is another alternative way to accomplish this.
Cool. 2 alts, make a lot or pre-grind & add liquid.
Thanks,
I think a longer soak time is beneficial and use plenty of water in the blender. Cut into small pieces too, and I think using newer, more flexible chiles also helps instead of the ones you have had around for a few years (like me, sometimes) Using high speed is not the best thing, you need a slower grind speed to get the grinding process going; a higher speed will throw stuff around more. start it slow and scrape it down repeatedly. If you have to throw out a few fragments of dried out skin at the end its not the end of the world.
I use a stick blender with about three guajillo-size-soaked with-boiling-liquid-chilies, but I don’t do it often enough to claim a fool proof technique. I do it in the tall, somewhat narrow container that comes with a stick blender.
used boiling water for the soak and left them in for an hour. They were very soft.
I’d say an easier job for a tighter space or as others have said, more chilis so they have nowhere to go, so to speak, and more liquid. I ran the blender at low.
The pieces were all half size or so as I removed the seeds.
It depends on the mortar and pestle, the liquid, and the energy applied. A molcajete can certainly grind quite fine. You can also force it through a tamis or Chinois.
I was mostly responding to this “Blender has plenty of gas, but it shoots the chunks up the side”
@shrinkrap’w recommendation of the stick blender in the tall container provided is a good one too. but my experience with blenders is that more fluid, slower speed at the start and constant scraping down of the blender jar will get you there.
