Hatch Chiles

I posted about Hatch Chiles in another post but could not find it. I got a call today from the produce dept at Safeway and they told me the Hatch Chiles have arrived. They are prepackaged in 1lb. plus packages in three stages of heat level. This will solve the issue Jenise talked about where they are tossed in barrels or tubs right next to each other, and people tend to mix them up. I am picking some up tomorrow, so will see what I think then. This is the first time I have seen them come in this way. Maybe a Covid thing?
Our local Farmers Market is packaging peppers, cukes, small tomatoes, green beans, summer squash, into packages. I hate this because there are only two of us and I arrive back home with more produce than I need. So, I have experimented with putting a variety of peppers into my homemade pasta sauce which I make every year for freezing. I am getting some excellent results. Cucumbers do well with a little pickling and will last for several days, and make a good hot afternoon snack.

“Our local Farmers Market is packaging peppers, cukes, small tomatoes, green beans, summer squash, into packages. I hate this because there are only two of us and I arrive back home with more produce than I need. “
I so relate to you, particularly now I’m on my own it’s worse, fortunately I can mostly get fresh produce loose. Bunches of spinach I cook the lot and freeze portions but I don’t want to do much of this, preferring fresh veggies. Meat is a real trial.

Yes, the meat is a real trial, however, it does freeze better for a longer time than the produce. I use the Food Saver and it works miracles with meat and cheeses. I have asked the grower at Farmers Market to give me a smaller portion, but I only do it if no one else is around. I do not want to cause him any more work with everyone starting to ask him to open bags and take out a handful.

Fresh meat will require some work. Confit, or other preserved (or preserved-style) meats, need less care.

Fresh greens are really hard to keep for long.

Chillies freeze real well, you don't have to do anything to them. Just put them in a plastic box or bag, seal it and put in freezer. Remove chilli(es) when you want to use them, they defrost really quickly.

I grow them, they ripen at the end of summer so I harvest them all, freeze them and use throughout the year till a new crop is ready.

The chiles I use most often are those little Thai bird's eye chiles (prik kee noo). My supermarket carries both the green and red varieties, but they come in packages of 40+, whereas recipes tend to use them a few at a time. Fortunately, as Peter says, they freeze very well. The only catch is that you need to use them immediately after defrosting. Once defrosted they won't keep, even overnight in the refrigerator.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

Chillies freeze real well, you don't have to do anything to them. Just put them in a plastic box or bag, seal it and put in freezer. Remove chilli(es) when you want to use them, they defrost really quickly.

I grow them, they ripen at the end of summer so I harvest them all, freeze them and use throughout the year till a new crop is ready.

The big green Hatch chiles aren't something you just use one of. I'll need 3-4 just to dress cheeseburgers or include in an omelet. True Hatch fans will go through 20 lbs a year, so cooking them first and freezing them (complete with the charred flavor from roasting, which is a highly desirable flavor) is necessary. They're not just about heat.

And to Karen, I saw them roasting chiles at a Whole Foods once and passed--they were, in my view, badly done. Overcooked and pretty distressed from being tumbled while overcooked. It's work to do them yourself, but it's sure the best result.

FWIW, I planted two Big Jim chile plants (my favorite green chile variety, usu. med. heat) on clearance $2 vs $13 each. Curious to see how many chiles I'll get. When I freeze chiles, I roast, peel, and deseed them first so they take up less space. But we're talking about 30-35 lbs., which shrink to four gallon-size freezer bags.

[Jenise]

Big Jims are my favorite too, but it's been years since I've been able to know what variety I'm buying. I suspect a lot of the so-called Hatch chiles we're buying are actually coming from Arizona and beyond. I have to buy a few, cook them off, then go back and load up if I liked them or keep looking if I didn't.

I don't peel them, but I pull the seed pods out.. I actually like the look and flavor of charred skin in a stew, for instance, so I keep it.

Big Jims are my favorite too, but it's been years since I've been able to know what variety I'm buying. I suspect a lot of the so-called Hatch chiles we're buying are actually coming from Arizona and beyond. I have to buy a few, cook them off, then go back and load up if I liked them or keep looking if I didn't.

I don't peel them, but I pull the seed pods out. I actually like the look and flavor of charred skin in a stew, for instance, so I keep it.

The skins tend to get stuck in my teeth.

The states around us keep trying to steal our chile glory. A year or two ago, Colorado tried to come out with a chile license plate, but we beat them to it. And Texas keeps trying to steal our thunder. Don't ever turn down Chimayo chiles. They're grown in northern NM and some are heirloom varieties. Hatch gets all the press but good chiles are grown throughout NM.

And as I was writing this, a neighbor came over and gave me an enormous amount of tortilla chips, flautas, enchiladas, beans, and rice from an event she hosted today. I thought I'd have to borrow someone's refrigerator, but I squeezed them in. I'll give some away tomorrow, for sure.

[Jenise]

Isn't Chimayo known more for its red chiles?

Lucky you on the neighbor's gift!

Isn't Chimayo known more for its red chiles?

Absolutely, but you can get green before they turn red. Chimayo red chile has quite a cult following, and heirloom seeds are available.