Hatch chili fans- question

[ceile]

I have a few that I want to roast tonight. Most of the instructions I've read say to wear gloves. Why? I ate a few bites of a raw one the other day and found it to incredibly mild tasting. Does the heat come out when it's roasted? Or are they supposed to be hot and I picked a dud?

[laylah]

1. Although they may be mild

tasting (my favorites, btw), the seed oil could be a problem if you touch your eyes. Just a thought. Enjoy!

Jenn

[jobycom]

7. The gloves won't help if you touch your eyes with the gloves on.

:)

[laylah]

19. Well, that makes

sense :silly: me.

[Gormy Cuss]

2. There are two reasons: one, an occasional chile from a mild variety will be quite hot,

and two, the cumulative amount of chile oils from mildly picante chiles can leave you with a bit of a "burn" on your hands.

I handle mildly picante chiles without gloves all the time EXCEPT when I'm processing a big batch.

eta: it's the membranes more than the seeds that cause the burn.

[ceile]

9. I will keep that in mind.

Thanks!

[LaurenG]

3. We used to drive up and get 50 pounds roasted

and by the time we drove back 80 miles or so the plastic bags they were in would have holes eaten through them they were so hot.(not due to roasting -hot)

They come in different degrees of hot and the heat is usually in the seeds and veins, you probably got some mild ones.

[Gormy Cuss]

4. Your car must've smelled wonderful. n/t

[LaurenG]

5. Yeah - ate holes in the carpet in the trunk too

We really needed gloves to peel those hot things. I wish I could get my hands on some now. :(

[ceile]

10. OMG!

Ate holes in the carpet?!!!

[jobycom]

6. Did you get the hot or mild variety?

The hot is much hotter than the mild.

Wear gloves if you are cooking a lot of them. If it's just a few and you won't be handling them much, you probably won't need to. Keep in mind that if you touch the pepper while it's roasted hot, the oil will be more active, and it will get under your skin more, so use tongs to a fork. Also, if you wash your hands in hot water and touch the pepper, your pores will be more open, and the oil will get in more easily. If you wash your hands in hot water after touching them, you could have the same problem, as the oil will cling to your hands long enough to wash into your pores. So wearing gloves prevents you having to think about it. :)

And DON'T rub your eyes or scratch your crotch. Even if you are wearing gloves.

[ceile]

8. I don't know.

They were at the local IGA so we bought a few (instead of going to the mega HEB). I took a bite of one and it seemed really mild, bland even. I'm hoping the roasting will bring out the flavor.
I will wear gloves just in case.

[jobycom]

11. Roasting will bring out the flavor, but probably not the heat.

What's the IGA? I usually get them at Central Market, and they are labeled hot or mild.

[ceile]

12. Independent Grocers Alliance

Old school store in Crestview/Brentwood. Very small, super fresh produce (the kind you use immediately or within a day- I think they may have their own garden near by), they sell Parade brand mostly. Great prices on meat and produce, but stay away from everything else- very expensive

[jobycom]

13. I work in Crestview

Is it back in that little center off Woodrow, by the Deli? That's a couple blocks from where I work.

[ceile]

14. That's it.

Check it one day. It's nothing spectacular, but it's local and you can usually find a good deal on something. And they have the biggest bulk mushrooms I've ever seen- about the size of my fist.

[jobycom]

16. Thanks. I never get up early enough for the farmer's market.

So, thanks for tip. :)

[MiddleFingerMom]

15. Here in Tucson, a lot of markets will have "Hatch Chile Week"...

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...and have somebody out in front who will roast them for you (no matter
what the amount).
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[Kali]

17. grill them on the bbq

what do you mean by a few? (for chili heads, a few might be dozens) We normally grill a dozen or so any time we fire up the grill and usually eat them standing right there - never use gloves for that, in fact rarely use gloves for green chilis at all, though I frequently rub nose or eyes and burn for a while - but seranos, or any other hotter chili, I try to be more careful.

I would say it depends on you skin/sensitivity. If you really just mean a few and have a gas stove you can roast them individually on the stove top.

[carlyhippy]

18. not all of them are gonna be mild

and they get hotter than hades when you pull them outta the roaster. Actually you will end up with the chili juice soaking into your skin, and if you rub your eyes you may be very sorry that you did.

Hatch chiles are the best, love them, I wish I still lived close enough to get me some.

[MiddleFingerMom]

20. Just got back from the grocery store where they had dried "ghost chiles"...

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...that are supposed to have 1,000,000 Scoville units of heat.
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Habeneros have around 500,000.
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I couldn't imagine needing chiles that hot for ANYTHING.
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By the way, the fresh habaneros they had today were E-FUCKING-NORMOUS!!!!
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Are they cross-breeding them to be bigger or something?
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Here's a reenactment of MiddleFingerMom on the throne the morning
after eating his first (and LAST) ghost chili pepper.
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