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Snoboy Knows
These peppers are dark green and long, usually between five and seven inches, and have a slight curvature and thick flesh. Be sure to choose the ones that are firm and have smooth, unblemished skin. They range from mild to hot; somewhere above an Anaheim and below Hatch chilies on the Scoville scale. When cooked, they have a smoky, savory flavor. When dried, however, the flavor has more depth and they are slightly hotter. When eaten raw, they can taste similar to a raisin with a hint of cocoa.
Running out of leftovers but still, want a taste of the holidays? Try something new, like black garlic and pasilla pepper spread. Pasillas happen to make great guacamole by the way. They are also popular in sauces, salsas, stews, hot sauces, soups, and rubs. After being roasted, they have their best flavor and texture. Take advantage of that flavor with a stuffed or fried one. When dealing with any pepper, wear gloves since the oil can get into small cracks in your skin, which causes a burning sensation that could last hours. Also, do not touch your eyes while handling these peppers. Washing your hands after handling the pasilla will help to keep anything like that from happening.
These hotties are available year-round. Mexico is the main producer of pasillas, but in the US, California grows limited quantities.
Store fresh peppers in fridge unwrapped for up to ten days. When frozen, they can last up to six months. Stored in an air-tight container in a cupboard, dry pasillas will hold up for up to six months.