A couple of weeks ago we went to Roswell for our 4–6-week shopping trip. They had just gotten in their Hatch green chiles and had several cases in varying heats. They smelled soooo good I just had to buy some. I grabbed a shopping bag and picked through the med-hot cases looking for the straightest ones that felt firm and heavy for their size.
When we got home, I placed them in the refrigerator to keep them as fresh as possible. A couple days went by, and it didn’t look like our heat wave was going to let up. (It had been over 100 degrees every day for the past few weeks) So I decided to try the broiling method instead of standing over a hot barbeque.
I started by lining a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Then I got out my long barbeque tongs and turned on the broiler to high. (Don’t forget to move your rack up to about 4 “ from the element before it gets hot.) Finally, I filled one side of the kitchen sink with cold water and lots of ice. (You can see our “Ice Maker Review” here.)
Working in batches of 6-8 (you don’t want to over crowd them) place the cookie sheet under the broiler and let the chiles blister. They should become fairly dark brown and the meat of the chile will separate from the skin in some spots. Keep an eye on the chiles and turn them as they blister until all surfaces are darkened. Immediately plunge the chiles into the ice water.
The sudden temperature change helps the skins separate from the meat of the chiles, making them easier to peel.
I then place 3-4 chiles (depending on size) in a small bag. I place several small bags into a larger bag, vacuum seal them and freeze them. (Check out our “Vacuum Sealers Review” here.) Be sure to leave enough excess length to the bag so you can open the larger bag, take out what you need, and reseal the bag.
I didn’t get as many bags as I thought I would, so a few days ago when I was at the local market and found Hatch green chiles on sale, I bought another shopping bag full. (Guess what I’m doing this afternoon?)
If you have any questions or comments, you can post them in the comments section at the bottom of this blog or send us an email to: KitchenTips@2TWR.com.
ENJOY!!
Patty & Doug
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