If you are a ‘pepper head’, chances are you are already familiar with New Mexico green chiles. As an ingredient in a wide variety of Mexican (and non-Mexican) recipes, these peppers provide medium heat and a great deal of flavor to any dish.

Green chiles are grown, for the most part, in New Mexico, Arizona and California. They are available year-round, but are most abundant from August through mid-October.

Typically, green chiles are anywhere from six to nine inches long. They measure approximately 1 ½ - 2 inches, in diameter. They are perfect for stuffing, frying, roasting and freezing. The heat index of the green chile pepper ranges from medium to extremely hot.

You can determine the heat index of a pepper by cutting it in half. It it’s bright orange and has large sacs; you have a very hot pepper. A mild pepper will have smaller sacs and a much milder color.

You can almost bet that true ‘pepper heads’ never will de-vein or de-seed a pepper. Why? Because the majority of a pepper’s heat can be found in it’s seeds.

If you are having difficulty locating this variety of pepper, locally, they can be purchased from many reputable Internet vendors. These merchants are more than happy to fulfill your peppery needs.

One such merchant is Hatch Chile Express. Founded in 1988, in the ‘chile capital of the world’, they have been featured on Food Network, ABC News and CNN… just to name a few. Besides selling the peppers, themselves, they also sell authentic New Mexico green chile seeds, perfect for the home gardener.

Another online merchant you might want to consider is the New Mexican Connection. They offer free shipping on their 5 or 10 pound cases of freshly frozen New Mexico green chiles.

These flame roasted whole chiles are packed in convenient one pound bags, with the blackened peels still attached. This method ensures that the peppers will not be subject to freezer burn and will retain as much roasted flavor as possible.

Should you decide to roast your own green chile peppers, it is a very simple task. Roasting actually improves, both, the heat index and flavor of the pepper. It can be done over any open flame, such as a gas stove burner or grill.

Hold the pepper over open flame, turning constantly. Your goal is to roast until the skin blisters, but doesn’t burn.

Once roasted, cover the green chiles with plastic wrap and let sit overnight. This causes the pepper to separate from the skin.

After allowing the pepper to rest, simply peel under cold running water. Add to your favorite recipe and enjoy.

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