When I fire off a blog post, I often don’t even think that some folks don’t know what I’m talking about. Heck . . most of the time I don’t know what I’m talking about. I’ll try to do better about explaining if I’m talking about something different.
Hatch Chili Peppers – they’re chili peppers that are grown in the Hatch Valley area of New Mexico. I think there are some rules about what can and can’t be called Hatch peppers. Technically, if I saved the seeds and grew them here, they couldn’t be called Hatch peppers because they weren’t grown in the Hatch region.
I had never heard of Hatch peppers either . . til we moved to Texas. Look at that . . I’ve been here a year and I’m so wise to the ways of Texas. I’ve killed a rattlesnake and I know about Hatch peppers! They arrive in our grocery stores towards the very end of August or the first of September and they’ll be here only a few weeks. In the larger stores around Fort Worth and the bigger cities, they have big roasters set up in the parking lots and the peppers can be purchased roasted or not roasted. I wouldn’t want to drive 2 hours with them roasted in my car and since the only pickup we have is . . well, let’s not get going on that 16 year old S-10 pickup!
Hatch peppers have a different flavor from regular chili peppers. I believe there are hot and mild varieties and it seems they may be mixed in the batches we got. They’re somewhat sweet, and mildly spicy. I put up 50 pounds of them yesterday and didn’t wear gloves and had only a very mild burning for maybe half an hour after I was done with them and I think that’s only because I was cooking dinner and kept putting my hands in hot water after handling the peppers.
We love putting them on burgers and sandwiches, as well as using them in recipes. They are used in all kinds of dishes from eggs to casseroles to bread . . you name it. Not sure if it’s all over the U. S. but here, we can buy the little cans of chili peppers, some of which say “Hatch” on them. I had not noticed those in other places we lived but it may be simply because I wasn’t aware of them.
Here’s my lunch. A tuna salad sandwich with sliced tomatoes and roasted Hatch peppers. Yum.
Throw in a few olives and some blue corn chips and we had a fantastic lunch! Oh . . did I mention that the bread was still warm . . wheat was ground this morning, bread taken from the oven about an hour before Vince got home for lunch.
Meals at our house are so good! I love eating here.
Someone asked how long the peppers I canned yesterday will last. I hope they last til the crop comes in next year. With 20 pints, 14 half pints and 12 – 4 oz. jars, I’ll probably use the 4 oz. jars all for recipes. The remaining amounts to 27 pints. That’s about one pint every two weeks. We eat lots of sandwiches but some days we used an olive spread, some days we use lettuce or spinach on our sandwiches, some days we use chili peppers. If we run out, we run out.
Someone else asked what made these peppers worth the trouble of canning 50 pounds. I suppose the answer to that question is . . what’s the meaning of “trouble”? Remember that I’m the one who grows my own veggies, grinds my own wheat, cans 100 quarts of tomatoes per year, etc. Yes, it’s work and yes, I was exhausted when I finished them yesterday. What else would I be doing? 🙂 I love doing this kind of stuff. If I didn’t enjoy it and if I didn’t have a place to store it all, I wouldn’t be doing it. I’m not saying my meals are better than your meals and honestly, if I served you a pot of black eyed pea cornbread made with home canned chili peppers or storebought chili peppers, I doubt anyone, including me, would notice any difference!
Someone asked about an EMP. It’s an electromagnetic pulse. There’s so much info . . I’m not going to try to explain it. I don’t know that I know enough to explain it. All I know is that I think there’s a great chance of it happening or something happening to interrupt our electric grid. Vince thinks it’s a remote chance. He gets frustrated with my preparations but for the most part, he’s a good sport. Google EMP or electromagnetic pulse if you’re interested. Or, read the book . . One Second After.
Hopefully, we all have our beliefs, our convictions, our desires, our fears, etc. Although most of you share my love of quilting and some share my love of knitting and my love of cooking, I don’t often mention many of the areas about which I feel strongly and some of the things I do that take up big chunks of my day. (It’s nothing illegal or really weird!) Based on some of my beliefs and convictions, I do some things differently — a lot of what I do I don’t even mention on here. There are some who read the blog who feel the same way I do about some of these things and because of their feelings, they’ve read between the lines and we talk often and compare notes and share links.
So . . please read and enjoy the parts of my blog that interest you and skip over the parts that do not but please don’t try to debate with me whether what I’m doing is right or wrong or makes sense or does not .
Nancy says
When we do our hatch chili I put it through the food grinder with a large hole die. Then we blend in our garlic and salt to taste. We freeze ours rather than canning – but it is just because it is easier for us that way. The ground chili spreads really well on sandwiches and also blends into our recipes pretty well. Hope you enjoy yours – we sure do love ours.
Rosie Davis says
Hi Judy. Rosie in NW Arkansas here. I just wanted to tell you that I have used these peppers in making chili rellenos although the ones used out in California are called something different. Anaheims maybe?
I’ve had the roasted Hatch peppers out of the Hatch area and are delicious. Thanks for sharing. I love your posts and read them religiously because you facinate me with all you do. Keep it up.
Diana says
thought you might be interested in this new tv show coming out
about life 15 years after the power goes out on the whole planet
It’s called Revolution
http://www.nbc.com/revolution/
Katie z. says
We put up dozens of quarts of applesauce every fall, and it’s worth every minute of “trouble.”. But thn, I too grins my own wheat, and know exactly what an EMP is. Keep up the good work!
Gwen says
Hatch chilies seem to have a unique flavor that must really come from the soil in that area. I’m lucky that I only have to drive across town to pick up the roasted ones. Earlier this month I delivered some to my brother who lives in the Dallas Ft. Worth area. I bought them between home and the family reunion so the car didn’t get too fragrant! My older son discovered Hatch peppers over twenty years ago on a vacation to New Mexico and we have been “Hatcher’s” ever since.
SharO says
As a side note. I had a recipe that called for 1/2 bushel of tomato’s and I wanted to know how many I had just picked in my garden . I knew how much they weighed but had no way to measure. I found out that a bushel of corn is 57#, a bushel of tomato’s is 50#. And, with your 50# of peppers you have 2 1/2 bushels. It does make one wonder how “they” come up with the different measurements!
pdudgeon says
thanks for the answered questions! guess i wasn’t the only nw who had no idea what yu were talking about. never heard of hatch chili peppers nor EMP’s.
i am making a list of non-perishibles to stock up on, so that’s my ‘crazy thing’, i think most of us like to be prepared in some way or another, so whether it’s a hurricane, an EMP, a natural disaster, or whatever, we’re covered and we cope like crazy with the rest of it!
Marsha B says
I live in Albuquerque and fall is my favorite time here. I love to go for a ride with hubby on the motorcycle and smell the roasting chilies all over town. I must confess, I don’t like eating anything that is hot but I love the aroma on the air!
Cindy from CA says
Could you share your canning recipe? I would love to put up some roasted peppers!
marianne says
I love Hatch roasted peppers! I spend 3 years in Albuquerque in the late 90’s, and I still remember people roasting them in the parking lots, and the smell was unbelievable. Florida, however, has nothing like that :(. I also love gardening, canning and the like, but we are going to be moving in the next year or so, so I have to wait until we get moved and settled to start all over in a new place. Whenever I see one of your posts about food and canning, I have food envy, you make it look so good! 🙂
Katherine says
There was an article in National Geographic about sunspots and EMP possibilities recently. It wasn’t really new info to me, but interesting.
Diana in RR Texas says
We have had the hot Hatch Peppers sent to our neice and her husband in PA. they love them.
Sandy says
Thanks for the information about Hatch chile peppers!
I had never heard of an EMP either (but I just looked it up) and have decided it’s not something I have any control over and therefore I’m not going to worry about them! Also, I gave up reading doom novels years ago!
I read your blog for the quilting info, Design Wall Monday, and to see what crazy things your chickens are up to! That’s all fun stuff!
Anne Simonot says
Oh, One Second After was an excellent book, wasn’t it? Nice to hear of someone else who’s read it too.
Kathy C says
The first time I saw Hatchg chilies was on a trip to Albuquerque in the years before TSA screening. I brought a bag full of roasted peppers back on the plane and thought I was going to be the only one. Everyone had bags of roasted chilies with them. Wouldn’t happen nowadays.
Last year, for the first time, I saw Hatch chilies in our local store. I think it was because Kroger took the stores over a couple of years ago. I only bought 10 lbs to put up. I use them when I make green chili. There really isn’t any substitute for their flavor.
Deb says
Thank you Judy! Roasted chilis sound great. I hate commenting, because some times things sound soooo different than I mean them too.
If I l liked something that was only available for a few week, I would put up 50lbs in two days too. I have been canning since I was in high school, and I too put up between 80 and 100 qts. Of tomatoes each year. But not in two days, I would need a week to rest afterwards :).
Thanks for the info, I learn soo much from your blog!
Ranch Wife says
I would be one who would notice the difference between fresh NM chile . Same for fresh ground flour or homegrown tomatoes. Sounds to me like y’all are living the good life!
Sandy K says
I would love to hear about the olive spread. That sounds interesting to me.
Kathy Alden says
Thanks for sharing what Hatch peppers are. I don’t think we have them here in Idaho or if we do, I never knew what to do with them! When you can them are you leaving them whole in the jars?
Jojo says
OMG – you’re making me SO hungry:-) I know those peppers smell wonderful when they’re roasting.
Penny Holliday says
Oh yum, Judy that slab of chili looks so good on your sandwich! I love ortega chili’s but not familiar w/ Hatch chilis.
I saw the pics of all your prep work but wonder after all that is done how do you actually “can” the chili’s? Do you ever make chili rellenos? Can the Hatch chili be used for rellenos or other mexican recipes? Again, thanx for sharing! Penny in S CA
Mel Meister says
I am on a couple of recipe tag lists and I just had to do a tag for a Texas friend on Hatch peppers. I’m very curious and wondering if I can get them here in Florida.
Deb says
Had to try the cornbread. Awesome recipe! We needed one for a pot luck, THANK YOU! It is always good to let people think you are this “great cook”.
The first “end of life as we know it” book I read was Steven King’s The Stand. Opened my eyes in a whole new way of the weird things that could happen that we have no idea about. Of course, freaks me out a bit now when I get a really bad cold! So, I am with you on the EMPs and being prepared, but I figure, whatever we have, someone else will want too, so I don’t worry about it too much.
I don’t do chilis, I am a Minnesota wimp (but getting better!) but the hub does, so will have to keep our eyes open for those! Still loving the blog. Thank you for it….