In many areas of the Southwestern states, the air around certain grocery stores becomes fragrant with the roasting of green chili. The round metal cages whirl like lottery baskets but what falls out of them is far more delicious than the little scraps of paper one usually finds in those rotating teasers.
Chili can be bought by the bushel, by the pound, and by the pod if need be from such places. For a couple of extra dollars the store will roast it for you. But even if you don’t want to roast it right away, you can work through the pods on your own by roasting it in the oven or creating you own torch and cage.
Why Buy Fresh Chili?
There is nothing like fresh chili. The variety and flavor are uncompromised. Buying it from the store, or even from the field, will not only enhance the flavor of your chili dishes but also give you the added satisfaction of knowing you have participated in the process completely. Whether you prefer mild, medium, hot or extra hot, you will appreciate the meal all the better if you prepared the chili yourself.
Roasting Chili Peppers
The store may have roasting available. The chili is heated under a medium high flame until the skin begins blistering with brown bubbles, and then is removed from the heat to be peeled. The process separates the peel from the flesh of the chili pod, enabling a person to simply and easily pull the peel off. If the roasting heat is too high, the pods will burn without the peel separating. If the heat is too low, the peel will just wrinkle, again failing to separate from the flesh of the chili.
Roasting can be done under the broiler or in a backyard grill as well as at the store. Turn the broiler on and put the chili in a single layer on a foil lined cookie sheet. Let the chili blister, turn and blister all sides equally and remove from the broiler, or grill. Cover the tray and chili with a damp dish towel for 15 minutes or so. The moisture and coolness causes the skin to separate further making it easy to peel.
Caution
When working with chili one should be aware the pods can cause skin to feel burned. The sensation can sneak up on you. You could peel half a bushel of chili and just begin to realize your hands are hurting from it. To avoid the pain you can use light plastic gloves or coat your hand with vegetable oil. Do not touch face, eyes or other sensitive parts while working with chili.
Peeling
Once done with roasting and cooling the chili, sit down with a bowl for chili, a bowl for the skins and your tray of pods and start pulling off the skin. Gently scrape away the seeds. Don’t worry if some seeds stick to the chili, they do add flavor and substance.
Once you get a good pile of cleaned pods, you can separate the chili into freezer bags. Don’t overfill the bags, make them about half full. Run a little water, (about a tablespoon full) into the bag; push the excess air out and seal. If you plan on using the chili for stew and salsa type foods, it saves a step if you chop the chili before bagging it. Freeze, cook or can your product. Yum!
If you get hungry while working, buttered toast with a bit of lightly salted chili on it should hit the spot quite well.
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