Any sources for hatch chilis since I can’t find them locally? How about recipes? They have such a delicious, distinctive flavor.
Any particular location? Also, natives tend to prefer “chile”.
I’m in the Boston area but am assuming I would have to order them online. I’m hoping to find the “real” deal Hatch chiles and not just green chiles in a can.
A good produce store might have them, maybe Whole Foods, although I don’t know Boston. Doesn’t cost anything to ask.
In Northern California a local supermarket chain sells flats of freshly roasted Hatch Chilis in August. I ordered a flat one year….and then I had to find ways to use all of them. Of course you can roast your own in smaller quantities.
Fresh Chile Company and Hatch Chile Store both ship.
I’m lucky enough to live in an area where certain grocery stores ship them in from out of state. Often they offer roasting events as well, but I avoid that since they always overdo it and cleaning becomes a serious pain. You might want to check with some of your “better” stores. It seems that Wegman’s has imported them in the past.
Keep in mind that “Hatch” isn’t a variety of chile pepper. It’s a generic marketing name for a whole host of peppers grown in and around Hatch, including: Big Jim, Sandia, Joe E. Parker, New Mexico 6-4, Barker Extra Hot, etc.
A lot of companies don’t bother to distinguish between them when selling, but some do, so you might want to ask. Big Jim tends to be mild but flavorful so it’s a good all-around go-to pepper.
(I guess it’s time to prep the grill outside. We usually roast for 2 weekends in a row to stock up for the rest of the year.)
1 Like
One more note: if you’re not going to make something that needs whole peppers like chile rellenos, you could get some roasted frozen chile shipped over and then break it out to use as necessary. I have 18 containers in my freezer right now along with my home-roasted stockpile for maximum flexibility.
1 Like
I was curious so I looked it up. Hatch chiles get a “certification mark” saying they’re from that region in New Mexico, but they don’t get “Geographical Indication” (GI) or “Protected Designation of Origin” (PDO). Hatch and Anaheim chiles are very similar but Hatch tastes different (terroir?) and are marketed that way.
1 Like
I grow my share of peppers (in Northern California) and found this useful.
This one also has interesting info and claims to include a mail order source. It’s one mentioned above by @Jackalope I haven’t ordered any.
I keep planning to plant Big Jim or Joe E Parker! Maybe next year.
1 Like
Anaheim is a rogue hybrid of NuMex No. 9 and NuMex No. 6, so it’s a mutt in chile terms.
Hatch is not a specific variety as I noted above, more of a marketing term to provide some level of confidence, like Cuban cigars. In fact, theses days most NM chile now is grown in the northern and southern parts of the Mesilla Valley instead of the Hatch area. There are also a lot of fake “Hatch” products out there. While the amount of chile grown in the Hatch region has declined a lot over the past few decades, more and more “Hatch” products have appeared on the market. Know your supplier.
1 Like
All the online options that I’ve seen are a minimum 5 lbs which is a lot since I just want to try cooking some to see if they would become a regular in my repertoire. I also think I may be a couple weeks ahead of this year’s harvest.
