Rehydrate Chili Peppers

Long Method

1. Rinse dried peppers well.
2. Remove stems.
3. At this point, you can also shake out the seeds or cut apart to remove membranes.
4. Bring water to a boil in a large pot.
5. Cut an onion in chunks and add to the pot.
6. Add peppers, cover, and reduce to a simmer (2 hours for smaller peppers; 4 hours for larger varieties. If it's a mix, just use the longer simmer time).
7. After 2-4 hours, turn off heat and leave for another 3-4 hours.
8. Place a strainer over a large bowl and pour out to reserve liquid.
9. In a food processor, add the peppers and some liquid.
10. Puree and continue to add liquid as needed, at least 2-3 minutes, until you have a medium consistency paste.
11. Remove from processor bowl and add into a strainer, over a bowl, a little at a time.
12. Use a spoon to mash the pulp and push out the liquid/paste.
13. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze in small batches.

Short method

1. Cut peppers into squares or strips.
2. Place in a bowl and add boiling water.
3. Add a plate or cover on top to keep peppers in liquid.
4. Let sit for about one hour or until pieces are pliable.
5. Reserve liquid and process following the above steps.

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