How to Dehydrate Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce – Dehydrating Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce, a Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1. Process to Dehydrate Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce

There isn’t much to do in the way of processing canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce for dehydration.  Simply pop the can top and scoop out the chipotle peppers and sauce onto your cutting board.  Note chipotle peppers will likely permanently stain your cutting board, so choose wisely.

Chop the chipotle peppers into fine bits on your cutting board.  Remove any woody pepper stems you find.

Step 2. Load the Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce on your Dehydrator Trays

Next, spread the finely chopped chipotle peppers and sauce in a thin layer on the removable fruit roll sheet.

The Nesco 13.5-inch round dehydrator tray has close to 119 square inches or .8 square feet of surface area for drying.

Plan on one dehydrator tray for each 7-ounce can of product. This will likely permanently stain your fruit roll sheet a reddish color.

We will use these removable Nesco fruit roll sheet inserts on our food dehydrator for today’s project.  They have over 3000 customer reviews with an average rating of 4.5 stars out of 5, which is evidence of a great product. Check out other Nesco food dehydrator products here.

Step 3. Dehydrate Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce

To save time, you can start dehydrating the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce mix by setting the drying temperature to 160 °F / 71 °C for 2 hours. Then, dial the temperature back to 135 °F / 57 °C until dry. We’ll let this go overnight, approximately 24 hours, depending upon the ambient temperature.

After 8 to 10 hours, peel up the dehydrated chipotle peppers in adobo sauce leather and flip it over for even drying.

Step 4. When are the Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce Done Dehydrating

After 24 hours of drying time, you shouldn’t see or feel any wet or mushy areas.  The finished product will feel a lot like a fruit roll and might be a bit tacky.

Drying times will vary depending on your food dehydrator. Refer to your dehydrator owner’s manual for recommended temperatures and times for dehydrating specific foods. Remember to use drying times as a guide.

Step 5. Equalize and Conditioning the Dehydrated Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce

We always recommend letting food items cool completely after they have finished dehydrating and before packing them into a storage container. Warm food may cause sweating, which could provide enough moisture for mold to grow.

It does not take long for dehydrated food items to start hydrating from naturally occurring household humidity.  Do not leave dehydrated food items exposed to the elements any longer than necessary because of the increased risk of mold growth.

After a short cooling period, break up the dehydrated chipotle pepper in adobo sauce leather by tearing it into smaller pieces. Then, pack the dehydrated chipotle peppers in adobo sauce pieces into a clean, dry insect-proof container. We use pint-size clear canning jars for this task.

When the dehydrated chipotle peppers in adobo sauce are removed from the dehydrator, any remaining moisture may not be distributed equally among the pepper mash because of its size, location, or position in the dehydrator. Equalizing and conditioning is a procedure used for freshly dehydrated foods that ensures any residual moisture remaining in any piece is spread or equalized among all the other pieces in the batch. Let the dehydrated mix equalize and condition in the storage container for 7 to 10 days.

Every day, check the jar for moisture. Roll the jar contents around and note any clumping or sticking. If seen, put the contents back on the dehydrator for several more hours. Since canning jars are clear, it’s easy to see what’s inside.

Step 6. Storing the Dehydrated Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce

Regardless of the type of storage container, it must be air-tight.

We use clear canning jars with a tight-fitting lid for this task.  Since the canning jars are clear, it’s easy to see what’s inside.

My preferred means of storing dehydrated chipotle peppers in adobo sauce are clear canning jars with moisture-absorbing desiccant packets.

We use these inexpensive food-safe desiccant packets, which are available from Amazon. These 5-gram packets have over 5000 of mostly 4- and 5-star customer reviews, with an average of 4.7 stars out of 5.  Our bag of 60 desiccant packets will last quite a while because they can be recharged and reused multiple times. Other food-safe sizes are available.

In the text box: Do not leave your dehydrated food items exposed and unprotected any longer than necessary for the task at hand. It does not take long for dehydrated food items to naturally start hydrating from ambient household humidity.  As such, this will increase the risk of mold growth.

Attach or include a short note describing the contents and the date the product was dehydrated. The note also informs us where to go in the dehydrator logbook to make another note.