Red Chile Pod Preparation & Sauce

When making red chile sauce from red chile pods you will need to prepare the pods prior to making the sauce.

Pod Preparation

Remove the stems, shake out seeds, cut down the side to inspect the inside for mold, and break/cut off any molded areas, if they exist. Clean all pods in this manner.

At this Point you can either make the Red Chile Sauce or store pods for later use. To store the pods it is suggested that you place them in a brown paper bag, compressing them down (as to fit more in the bag) and store in a freezer. This will preserve them for a longer period of time for these reasons: in dry climates the red chile pods attract a small flour moth, the moth will live, and eat the red chile pods; in humid climates the red chile pods will absorb moisture, and mold.

Red Chile Sauce

Wash cleaned pods, place in a large pan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Boil for 25 minutes. Remove, and place into a blender, add fresh garlic to the desired taste (starting with 1 large clove). Add water from boiling pot, enough to come up the sides of the chile about 3/4 of the way is a good start (adjust water for the desired consistency). Blend skipping every other speed (do not over blend). Pour blended chile into a food mill, or sieve, running through the device to remove any remaining seeds and the peel, (this step is necessary, because the skin tends to be bitter – you will yield a better flavor by not skipping this step), and discard the peel. Now you have Red Chile Sauce which should be seasoned with garlic salt to taste.