green chile peppers: the basics

Don't cook, can or freeze fresh  green chile pods. The peel has a bitter taste that will ruin much of your chile enjoyment. For best results, green chile needs to be roasted and peeled before you cook or preserve them.

a. roasting green chile peppers

The smell of roasting chile is one of the great Fall delights of living in New Mexico. It is worth stopping for a while to smell the roasting chile.

INGREDIENTS

This is what you need:

  • green chile pods, up to 25 lbs.
  • chile roaster / grill / oven
Pic1: a chile roaster in action

Directions

 

Pic2: Hatch chile store
Pic3: roasting 20 lbs. green chile
Pic4: roasting on the grill

 

2020-09-27

Pic5+6: 20 lbs. roasted green chile will fit in a 12-qt. pot
Pic7: chile peels

b. processing green chile peppers

2019-10-03

Pic8: 2 lbs. roasted green chile
Pic9: same, without the bag
Pic10: peeled and cored

 

Pic11: chile peels and cores
Pic12: removing chile seeds
Pic13: chile peels, cores, seeds

 

2016-12-27

Pic14-16: chopping / stewing chile peppers

c. canning green chile

Canning is a method to preserve food that does not require refrigeration. Peppers are non-acidic food, so be sure to always pressure-can.

See also THIS PAGE for detailed instructions.

INGREDIENTS

This is what you need:

  • green chile, roasted, cleaned
  • mason jars
Pic17: green chile in pint mason jars

Directions

 

Pic18: cleaned green chile
Pic19: ready to pack in canning jars
Pic20: all done

d. freezing green chile

Freezing is a common way of preserving chile for the entire year.
Many household in NM fill a dedicated freezer with green chile each harvest season.

 

Directions

2016-12-27

Pic21-23: blending for green chile sauce

 

2020-10-02

Pic24-26: vacuum-sealing whole peppers

 

2019-09-12

Pic27-29: thawing / heating / using green chile