How do we feel about them?
Could they be the world’s most perfect pepper?
Do we have favorite dishes featuring the hatch chili?
Here’s one I whipped up last night:
Roast chicken Nachoes with sliced fresh hatch chiles.
Here in the NorthEast I have never been able to find quality Hatch Chiles. I have bought them around a half dozen times, and they tasted terrible. So I don’t feel so great about them.
Have had green chile several times out West years ago, but no great memories to speak of. This is an item that I have heard great things about, but whenever I tried them, I must have had the mediocre stuff.
If I run across them, any suggestions on how to tell if fresh are any good, and preparation?
By the way, the small cans at TJ’s are terrible!
When during the year did you buy them? The NM hatch growing season runs from aug to sep. Any sightings of fresh hatch chiles outside of these times are most likely imposters from South America and China.
Bought in season from various Whole Foods. One of the only places that regularly carries them in the Northeast. Suggestions to get them in Westchester County, NY, appreciated. Always willing to try again. If I get good recipes.
Love love love them! I spent two summers living in Santa Fe and they were everywhere, although even there it was possible to get a lackluster variety or dishes where they were poorly prepared. Also, the heat level can vary considerably depending on the specific cultivar. There are many restaurants who breed/grow their own for specific heat levels and flavors.
The best way to get them anywhere other than the Southwest is to order them online and have them shipped to you. There are a number of websites that will ship them roasted and frozen, or even fresh when in season.
It’s a JERSEY hatch.
I planted them instead of jalapenos or Hungarian banana peppers this year and I have to say that fresh hatch is just so delishus.
They are not overpowering but have just the right amount of zing. There is a green complex freshness to the flavor notes that is difficult to describe.
I read some where that humans really like complex flavors, that’s why we like coffee so much.
I think fresh hatch’s are another flavor that qualifies.
I may have to increase production next year.
Yep. I’ll vouch for Berridge Farms. Www.hatch-green-chile.com This will be year seven or eight in a row for me getting Big Jims from them.
Once they arrive, I’ll spend a day roasting (oak wood embers), packaging, and freezing most for use throughout the year.
“It’s a JERSEY hatch.”
Not a proponent of “terroir” theory, eh?
What’s that about terrorists?
All I know is theys very tasty fresh. Since you live in the hood I could save one or two for you for a taste.
Jersey fresh, these babies glow in the dark !
Apparently there is a big lawsuit regarding illegal immigrants that are being smuggled in from Mexico and labeled as “hatch”:
Libertarian Gary Johnson is supporting the New Mexico growers. So I guess he’s not entirely about free trade.
And, in an interesting twist, it looks like the trademark for hatch chiles is owned by a company in Georgia.
I’ll stick with my interpretation which is cultivar over geographic origin.
And watch out for those illegal immigrants…
Hmm… looks like someone decided to remove my question about Hatch chilies grown in the Hatch Valley. I would think that was relevant to the discussion, but I guess not…
It’s in a different thread.
It’s all about terroir. And, terroir is kinda like god - one tends to see the evidence available in light of the preexisting faith in the concept.
Personally, I’m a fair weather proponent - sorta 60-40 on the “yes” side. Wine, tomatoes, chiles are all things that seem to demonstrate the impact of the growing conditions/locations. On the other hand, I don’t see much demonstrated in most of the produce I consume.
When it comes to merroir and oysters, however, I’m practically evangelical.
Let’s hook up and I will bring you one that I grew off of the Sandia hatch seed fresh and you can tell me what you think:
As a biochemist I can tell you that the volatile oils start to change almost as soon as you pick them. I’m normally all about terroir too, but in this case it’s more like the difference between a fresh heirloom tomato out of your garden vs. one shipped from California.
Btw hope your not into that organic shit, I spray for bugs and use miraclegro.
