This technique can be used to flavor vinegar with all of our dried chilies (for less potent varieties you may have to crush the chili in order to infuse its flavor).  Whole spices can be steeped with the chilies as well.  Try using chile vinegar instead of champagne vinegar in homemade vinaigrettes or mignonette sauce.

Ghost Chile Vinegar Recipe:

Simple, yet very effective, ghost chili vinegar is sour and hot, hot, hot!

Ingredients:
3 dried ghost chilies
1 quart white wine vinegar

Directions:

1. Put on protective cloves, wear them at all times while handling ghost chilies.
2. Pour vinegar into a pot, and heat to boiling.
3. Add whole ghost chilies (for even more heat, quarter or slice them first).
4. Turn off heat, cover the pot, and let the chilies steep until the vinegar has returned to room temperature.
5. Remove the ghost chilies from the vinegar.

Store the vinegar in the refrigerator in a bottle or jar.  It should retain its potency forever.

Chipotle-Cumin Spiced Vinegar Recipe

Much more mild than the ghost chili vinegar recipe above, this vinegar has a smoky-spicy flavor profile well suited to Southwestern dishes.

Ingredients:
8 Dried Chipotle Chilies or Dried Organic Chipotle Chilies
1 tsp whole cumin
1 quart white wine vinegar

Directions:

1. Pour the vinegar into a pot, and heat it to boiling.
2. Add the chipotles and the cumin.
3. Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let them steep until the vinegar has returned to room temperature.
4. Strain the chilies and cumin out of the vinegar, and store it in a bottle in the fridge until needed.

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Browse More:
Ghost Chile Recipes
Dried Chile Recipes & Techniques
Vinegar Recipes