This year I am experimenting with several types of chilli that are new to me. One of them is the "Poblano"
This chilli looks very much like a Green Pepper / Capsicum / Bell Pepper. It is also at the lower end of the scale as far as heat goes.
It grows pretty much the same way as any other chilli / pepper:
The fruits are supposed to go a deep chocolately red when ripe. Since mine are still completely green, I have picked a couple and brought them indoors into the warmth to try to accelerate the ripening process.
When ripe the Poblano chillis are traditionally dried and flattened, making them even wider, and at this point they are referred to by a different name - "Ancho" (meaning "wide" or "broad" in Spanish). They have a flavour that I think is a bit like a raisin. They are mildly spicy, but definitely fruity too. The dried fruits are soaked in water to re-hydrate them, and the soaking water is added to whatever it is that you are cooking, along with the chilli itself. I find that it is advisable to slit the chilli open and remove the seeds before soaking, since this type does have a lot of quite big seeds.
I'm not 100% sure how I am going to use the ones I have grown, but I think I will start by drying them (in the airing-cupboard of course, since I don't have a dehydrator). I might also try smoking one or two in my Stovetop Smoker contraption.
Oh how I miss chilies. Green chilies are my favorite (Anaheims), but Anchos are good too both ripe and not.
ReplyDeleteI tried growing these this year, but nothing germinated. Epic fail! Yours look great though, well done.
ReplyDeleteIt does look like a bell pepper - there's sneaky for you!
ReplyDeleteI'm a total novice when it comes to chillis, are they milder when green? What I mean is, why do they need to ripen?
ReplyDeleteJo; yes, the ripe chilli s normally hotter than the immature one. The ripe ones also have a better flavour. Just imagine how poor a peach is when it's under-ripe!
DeleteRight, I get it now. Some of my sweet peppers are still green, but I understand they can be eaten this way but are more bitter, hence, I'm trying my best to get them ripe before autumn truly sets in.
DeleteI will be interested to know how you use these. Have had a few dried given to me and not sure what to do with them...
ReplyDeleteThe dried ones need to be re-hydrated before cooking. Add them (complete with soaking liquid) to a Chilli con Carne and you'll understand why I love them!
DeleteI want to try these next year, I love the fruity flavour they have. They are great roasted or smoked.
ReplyDeleteI live in New York and we can regularly buy green poblano peppers. In fact, I have never seen one that is a deep red color! I like to use them in recipes which call for jalepeno when I am looking for a nice flavor but a bit less heat.
ReplyDeleteLiving in Texas, poblanos are served everywhere and for sale everywhere. I have never seen a red one. I didn't know they could go until red? I might have learned something new. I have grown them in the past and just pulled them at large and green like the ones I have in restaurants, ha. Can't wait to see how yours come out.
ReplyDeleteI never seen this pepper before. Look like bell pepper. Is the taste sweet or hot?
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing.
Endah
Indonesia
One of my favorite chillis. Chilli relleno is a nice use of them fresh.
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