Green Chile - It's a Southwest thing!

Those of us who are natives to the American Southwest get a certain feeling when green chile harvest time is approaching.  A twinge starts mid-August, especially if the weather has turned mercifully cooler, even for a few days.  We check our freezers to count how many quart packages of last year's chile harvest are still left.  Yes!  We can just make it to Labor Day, the traditional start of the chile season.  

Preserving the green chile harvest is truly a tradition in my home town of El Paso, Texas, located on the borders of Texas, New Mexico and Mexico.  A shared understanding about the importance of buying and freezing exists among longtime El Pasoans.  Without even asking if I freeze green chiles, a new acquaintance sitting next to me at a dinner party recently shared her green chile success story.  She had found fresh, plump chiles at a Walmart store. Her husband had roasted them himself on a grill in their backyard (much preferable to having store employees roast them! ) And a friend texted me yesterday with information about where her husband had found the best chiles at the best price.

Many decisions are involved in the preservation of green chile. First, do you make the four hour round trip drive to Hatch, New Mexico, 

billed as the Chile Capital of the World, to buy chiles at the source, or do you trust local markets advertising they sell Hatch chiles? Chile in quantities is usually sold by the box, so will a  20-lb. box last a whole year, or should you go for the 40-lb. box?  Probably the biggest decision of all is the classification of chile as mild, medium or hot.  We bought mild last year; this year my husband, Wayne is trying to talk me into medium.  We gave up on hot chiles years ago. 

The next decision is the best way to roast chiles to remove the outer skin.  Many grocery stores set up propane roasters in front of the store when they are ready to offer that service to customers for a few extra dollars (plus a tip for the young man roasting them —it's a hot job.) 

Chiles can also be roasted at home, outside on a grill or even inside in the oven. We no longer roast our own chiles.  But Wayne watches the roasting process like a hawk to make sure the chiles are not over roasted. Over-blackened chiles are hard to peel and lose much of the "meat" inside. 

Don't forget to buy quart size plastic bags at the store because you will want to freeze the chiles as soon as possible.  Some people take the skins off before freezing; others leave them on until they are defrosted for use.  Also be sure you have fresh flour tortillas on hand.  A drive home from the store with a box of roasted chiles in the back has an enticing aroma. When you arrive home, a newly roasted green chile, peeled, salted, and wrapped in a warm tortilla for a snack is a little bit of heaven. 

A quick peel, and these chiles are ready!

   

With the freezer shelves full of neatly stacked packages of green chiles, the next decision is what to do with them.  At our house, we make chile con queso, add chiles to scrambled eggs, use them as a side vegetable, bake them into cornbread, make salsa, prepare chiles rellenos (stuffed chiles), add them to a bean burrito, or put chiles on hamburgers and sandwiches. 

This season I may look for more exotic recipes on the web site Hatch Green Chile Recipes. Green Chile Pumpkin Pie?  Sinfully Spicy Apple Pie?  Green Chile Pasta Salad?  Green Chile Fritatta?  Why not?  I have a whole freezer full of green chiles and the rest of the year to enjoy them.

gave up on hot years ago.