Food - Drink
Why Are Canned Chipotle Peppers Used In Adobo Sauce?
By ERIN SHAW
Chipotle peppers are actually mature, dried jalapeños, and are often sold already rehydrated and canned in adobo sauce for a plump, juicy texture and smoky, spicy flavor.
This mutually beneficial relationship makes both the peppers and sauce better. A basic adobo is a versatile red chile-based sauce with the consistency of a chunky barbecue sauce.
When chipotles are rehydrated in adobo sauce, they become infused with the rich flavor of the sauce, and cooks can use both the peppers and sauce in marinades, salsa, and more.
Canned chipotles take the work out of rehydrating the dried peppers yourself, and you can also use just the chilies or just the sauce and reserve the other component for later use.
An efficient way to save chipotles in adobo for long-term use is to puree the sauce and peppers together, then pour it into an ice cube tray for convenient cubes of flavor.