You're Storing Your Chipotles In Adobo Sauce All Wrong. Do This Instead

Chipotles in adobo sauce are indispensable in certain recipes, but you might have noticed that a little goes a long way. Even though they're almost always sold packaged in small, 7-ounce cans, there are usually plenty of peppers left over after making a batch of baked beans or a streamlined version of al pastor, which typically only call for a tablespoon or two. So the problem becomes how to handle the peppers left in the can. 

If you're one of those people who stores the leftovers with a piece of plastic wrap or aluminum foil in the fridge, you're doing it all wrong. It's way too easy to forget about that covered can for weeks until it's covered with mold and needs to be thrown away. Instead, if you individually freeze the peppers in an ice cube tray, you can sidestep that slow-motion wasting of food, plus you'll always have a perfectly portioned amount of chipotles whenever you need them.

The trouble with chipotles in adobo sauce is that they're not quite an everyday staple for a lot of people, yet most recipes don't call for using the whole can, so you have to figure out how to store them. It's a bad idea to keep anything in a can for longer than four days after it's opened, and chances are you're not going to need 6 ounces of chipotles in adobo sauce so soon after giving your barbecue a spicy kick. The best way to keep them fresh is in the freezer, but again not in the can. Instead, reach for an empty ice cube tray.

@soupercubes

Chipotles in adobo sauce pack a lot of flavor in each pepper. It's why so many recipes only call for 1-2 peppers. Instead of throwing out the rest of the can or letting it spoil in your fridge, freeze it in #soupercubes 2T/1oz tray. This lets you reduce food waste and save $. #reducefoodwaste #cookinghack #freezerstash #freezercooking #chipotlesinadobo #cookingforone #leftoverschallenge

♬ original sound – ✨Souper Cubes✨

In a TikTok, the silicone ice cube tray company Souper Cubes shows us how it's done. Simply pluck the chilis out of the can and plop them individually into the tray. Fill whatever space is left with the rest of the sauce, and then store the whole tray in the freezer. A larger ice cube tray that can hold a whole pepper is perfect for this storage hack, but you can also cut the peppers in half if you only have a standard-sized ice cube tray on hand.

Now if all you do with your chipotles in adobo sauce is freeze them in an ice cube tray for later, you're already winning the war on food waste. However, since you're doing a little extra work, measure what you freeze. That way you'll always know exactly what to remove for the next recipe (this method is also handy for storing leftover tomato paste).

A standard-sized ice cube tray holds 1 ounce or 2 tablespoons of liquid, which should be large enough to hold a half of a pepper and some sauce. If you want to be precise, toss the can of peppers and sauce into a blender or food processor, then divide it out into the ice cube tray with a measuring spoon. If you don't have an ice cube tray handy, no problem. You can also scoop all your adobo puree into a zip-top bag, flatten it out, and separate the bag into equal-sized sections before laying it flat in the freezer. Once all your portions of sauce are frozen, pop them all out of the tray or bag and store them in a large zip-top bag or air-tight container in the freezer. When a recipe pops up that calls for chipotles, just grab what you need and leave the rest in the container.