I love this time of year

[Whamolagan]

So here it is, that time of year when my favorite food comes in. That would be Hatch Chilis. I usually have to either drive to New Mexico, or have a buddy of mine bring me some. This year is different. The Albertsons grocery store had brought in a bunch and offered free roasting of them $30 for 30 pounds. I got 60 pounds. It took me 3 1/2 hours to vacuum bag em and get em in the freezer. These are the best chilis I have ever eaten. We put them in everything. I know that trader joes carries canned ones, but fresh roasted is best.

[Beer-lord]

I like the chilis that have lots of flavor instead of only heat. We don't have a huge choice in the NOLA area. But, we also don't have a Trader Joe's yet though one is being built 2 miles from my house and I can't wait.

[mashani]

One of my friends used to live in Albuquerque. He'd send me a big bag of those every year. They are very tasty.

[alb]

I just put 7 quarts in the freezer, and kept 2 quarts out for immediate use. One is gone already. My local grocer sells them roasted for $5/qt. Man, I love them!

[poodie]

I love Fall. It is GREAT brewing weather.

[Brewbirds]

Hey JimH looky here we have another HatchHead on the Borg.

Wham you are our new best friend.

We left a long while ago but our sister still lives in Las Cruces and has a friend who is a grower.

The "locals" are very partial to "wet reds" which is the same chili left on the plant into fall until it turns red and then harvested.

They aren't as easy to get because crops that aren't harvested green are left in the field for the dried pod market.

BTW our first ever Trader Joe's experience was on a trip to Greenville SC (across from our hotel) and we were impressed. If you guys have one look for this...

Greenville has a Trader Joe's and they know chile yayus.JPG (49.69 KiB) Viewed 578 times

a very well done substitute if you can't get fresh roasted.

[Jon]

Never had a Hatch Chili...how hot are they and what's the flavor like?

We do have a Trader Joe's, down around 72nd St so maybe I'll pick up some of those next time so I can try them for myself.

And I'm really, really happy that the weather is starting to cool off...I LOVE the fall!

[ScrewyBrewer]

I love Fall. It is GREAT brewing weather.

I do too. The cooler weather is making me think about increasing my brewing schedule already. I'm looking forward to brewing lots of Lagers as the rest of this year wraps up. Before getting an Irish Stout on the schedule I'm planning to brew a batch of California Steamin' to get things started.

[BigPapaG]

Picked up four of these here Hatch Chilis to gove them a try...

Before I do, how hot are they really... Maybe more than a banana pepper but not as much as a jalopeno?

Also, anyone ever stuff with ricotta and beef, pork or turkey and roast them?

[Whamolagan]

They are not that hot unless you leave the seeds in. I put hatch chilis in EVERYTHING. I used to go to hatch when I lived in cloudcroft after the harvest and get the reds.

[Brewbirds]

Hatch Chili is well... "Hatch Chili" and I don't mean to be sarcastic at all. The actual chili grown there is called Big Jim they are/were developed through New Mexico State University's Ag extension type work. They are loosely kind of like the Anehiem Peppers you might see in the store regarding color and shape but that is where the comparison ends.

The Hatch chili can be had in HOT, MEDIUM, and MILD versions and you should know what you are buying because a truly hot Hatch can make you cry like a girl.

The flavor is what distinguishes them from any other pepper and that is derived from the hot dry climate and soil conditions where they are grown - The Hatch Valley.

The chilis can be grown, like any other vegie, anywhere but most folks will tell you they just won't be the same.

On that note - the canned and jarred versions will probably be from the mild or medium peppers so if you don't like hot but do like flavor pick up a can/jar and give them a try.

Google a recipe for chili rellenos to get a true since of how they are most frequently consumed...

Hatch Baby 001.JPG (63.95 KiB) Viewed 547 times

The hotter the better for some and this place, which only the initiated could find, is the cult headquarters.

[Whamolagan]

The story I heard is that the actual brand hatch chili was actually developed by a man in Oxnard, Ca. Some of his family lived in Hatch NM, he went to visit and loved the soil. He up rooted his family in Oxnard and moved to hatch. There are a lot of chilis grown in hatch, but the actual hatch brand is its chili. This story I got is from a dear friend that was doing the census with a grandchild of the man who started the hatch brand. So that is what I know, but a google search comes up with all kinds of stories. If you grow it anywhere other than hatch NM it is just a New Mexico chili. I grow them every year and I cant tell much difference. If anyone wants to try and grow them, I have a boatload of seeds. They are a little tricky to get started, but once they take off, man do they produce.