If you've spent any time in the American Southwest, especially during the fall, you've undoubtedly come across Hatch green chiles. The famous pepper, which is similar to the more common Anaheim chile, is specific to the Hatch Valley in southern New Mexico and possesses a rampant fan base throughout the state, as well as in Texas and Southern California.
However, if you aren't from that neck of the woods, you might not be familiar with this regional treasure that continues to grow in popularity each year. Nate Cotanch and chef Aneesha Hargrave from Zia Green Chile Company.
While Hatch chiles don't adhere to quite the same rigorous location requirements as, say, Champagne or Parmesan cheese, Cotanch believes that the Hatch Valley is really the only place you should source the chiles. "All of our chiles come from the Hatch Valley, which we believe has the best terroir in the entire world for these particular chiles," he says. "I like to think that the Hatch Valley is to chile peppers what the Napa Valley is to grapes."
... But you don't have to live in the Southwest to get them.
While nothing beats visiting New Mexico for the annual Hatch Chile Festival, you can still get Hatch chiles sent directly to your door, regardless of where you live. During harvest season, you can buy fresh chiles from the Zia Green Chile Company, and in the meantime, they offer a number of jarred versions of both red and green varieties as well. If you're looking for dried or whole frozen chiles, those are available through other purveyors.
Hatch chiles are a super versatile ingredient.
"The big thing about Hatch chiles is their overall versatility since you can use them in basically any dish," says Cotanch. "They're great for stews, sautés, sauces, and dips like queso, hummus, or salsa. They're also perfect for topping a burger or pizza. Growing up, we even put them in our apple pie at Thanksgiving. The way that the sweetness of the apples mixes with the flavorful smokiness of the spiced chiles works really well."
Hatch chiles come in several varieties.
While green and red Hatch chiles are really just the same pepper picked at different times, they do each offer distinct flavors. "When picked early and then roasted, Hatch green chiles have a very smoky, upfront flavor," explains Cotanch. "Then as the chiles mature and turn red, they develop a slightly sweeter flavor profile and a more earthy underlying taste."
Hatch chiles offer an ideal balance of heat and sweetness.
According to Cotanch, Hatch chiles' popularity stems from their flavor more than their spiciness. However, regardless of how much heat you're hungry for, there's a variety of Hatch that's perfect for you. Hatch chiles range in heat level from mild – for those seeking just the smoky flavor – to extra hot, which rivals the New Mexico sun on the Scoville scale (we assume).
Roasted Hatch chiles take on an almost buttery flavor with sweet heat. It's not just the taste but the aroma of them roasting is world famous. In fact, New Mexico may become the first state to have a state aroma: “green chiles roasting in the fall”. Their popularity stretches way beyond New Mexico however.
Roasted Hatch chiles take on an almost buttery flavor with sweet heat. It's not just the taste but the aroma of them roasting is world famous. In fact, New Mexico may become the first state to have a state aroma: “green chiles roasting in the fall”. Their popularity stretches way beyond New Mexico however.
These long green chiles are virtually identical to California and Anaheim peppers, with one distinct difference: they are much, much hotter. Hatch chiles are New Mexico chiles that are grown in the small town of Hatch, New Mexico, and are considered premium green chiles.
Yes, like any fresh food, roasted Hatch Green Chile can go bad. Once the chiles are roasted, they need to be refrigerated and typically used within a week to maintain their best flavor and quality. If you've opened a jar of roasted green chiles, they should be used within 7 days after opening, even if refrigerated.
What makes their flavor different than a bell pepper (green or red) or a jalapeno? They come from an area in the Hatch Valley of New Mexico. The flavor is something akin to how grapes get there flavor. The soil in the Hatch Valley is key part of the flavor for this chile.
Remember that factors such as the soil type, sunlight, and temperature can all influence the final taste and heat level of the chiles. While you may not be able to perfectly replicate the conditions of the Hatch Valley, you can still grow delicious Hatch chiles in your own backyard with a bit of care and attention.
The tough outer skin must be removed from the chile. Blistering the skin using one of the following methods makes removal easy. Wash and dry chile. Use a knife to make a small slit in the side to allow steam to escape.
Hatch pepper season typically begins in August and continues through mid-September. During this time, you can buy fresh Hatch peppers, and if you buy them in areas where a lot are sold and used (again, all over New Mexico and the surrounding areas), you will likely be buying them by the case.
Green hatch chile peppers are a good source of vitamins A, C, B, and E, potassium, and calcium. The peppers also contain capsaicin, which is a chemical compound that triggers the brain to feel the sensation of heat or spice and contains anti-inflammatory properties.
So, in terms of heat, some Hatch Chile is milder than a jalapeno, while others are just as hot, or even hotter. It all depends on the specific variety of Hatch chile you're dealing with.
When is the perfect time to experiment with Hatch chile flavors? These spicy beauties are harvested, generally from mid-August to early September. Whether fire-roasted or used fresh, they're ready for your culinary and beverage needs.
Here are some of our top suggestions on what to do with roasted hatch chile: After roasting, steam them and then deseed and peel the skin off the roasted chile. We like to steam them in a pyrex glass dish with a glass lid to cut down on plastic use.
They can be frozen with or without skin, and will keep for up to 18 months. Chiles peel easily after defrosting. If you plan to use your chiles right away, peel after roasting. Once the Hatch Chiles are cool enough, they are ready to peel.
Some types of Hatch Chile can be quite mild, ranging from around 1,000 SHU, while others can be fairly hot, reaching up to 8,000 SHU or more. So, in terms of heat, some Hatch Chile is milder than a jalapeno, while others are just as hot, or even hotter.
Heat Level: On the Scoville Heat Unit scale, which measures the spiciness of chile peppers, Anaheim Chile typically ranges from 500 to 2,500 units, while Hatch Chile can range from 1,000 to 8,000 units. This means that Hatch Chile can potentially be hotter than Anaheim.
Only chile grown here in Hatch, New Mexico, and the surrounding Hatch Valley is actually “Hatch Chile”. There are many different varieties of green and red chile grown here, meaning “hatch chile” is a catchall phrase for chile grown in the Valley.
Introduction: My name is Dan Stracke, I am a homely, gleaming, glamorous, inquisitive, homely, gorgeous, light person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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