Rehydrating Dried Chile Pods

Stem and seed chiles. Dry-roast them in a skillet or a 25o degree oven for 3 to 4 minutes. Shake pods once or twice while roasting. Be sure not to scorch the chiles as a bitter taste will result. Add the pods to a pan of water that has been heated just below the boiling point. Only use enough water to cover the chiles and press them down with a lid.  Allow the pods to steep until they are soft (approximately 15 to 20 minutes). Taste the soaking/steeping liquid, if it is bitter discard the liquid and use fresh water when the recipe calls for the soaking/steeping liquid. The chiles are now rehydrated and should be used according to the recipe.