# Help -- Chili Too Spicy!



## Girl49 (Jan 22, 2012)

Almost ready to serve dinner chili to hubby, but it has too much heat. Recipe called for 1/4 cup of chili powder, and I combined regular (Gebhardt brand) with some ancho and chipotle powders. Also subbed one ribbed, seeded serrano pepper for jalapeno, as grocery didn't have latter. Already added some tomato paste and a little sweetener to tone down. Any other quick, easy way to tame the flames a little? Thank you!!


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## merstar (Jan 22, 2012)

Try adding some olive oil - I use that often to tame things down. Also, add some cheddar or cheese of choice.


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## GLC (Jan 22, 2012)

There's really nothing suitable for food that you can add that will neutralize the capsaicin. You can operate on the peppers before you add them, but once they are in the chili, you can only try to remove the capsaicin by removing the water. It's not water soluble, and you can't filter it, but you just wash some of it out, leaving the solids behind, and rebuild with fresh liquids and seasonings. Some changes can alter the flavors so that someone may perceive it as less hot, but if it's burning, it's still going to burn. 

Here's something I haven't tried, but it might work. Capsaicin is oil and fat soluble. Stirring in a significant quantity of some neutral oil and skimming it off might carry off some of the heat. Otherwise, serve a big glass of milk with the chili and plan ice cream for dessert.

If you happen to have a jar of calcium caseinate around the kitchen (you don't), it's supposed to neutralize capsaicin, but I don't know of anyone who's both had access to it at the same time as they had a pot of over hot chili and got to test it.


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## CWS4322 (Jan 22, 2012)

Add more of the base (stock, tomatoes) to dilute the chili. A couple of teaspoons of sugar might help.


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## Kayelle (Jan 22, 2012)

Float a couple of tablespoons of sour cream on the top of each serving.  I think it helps tame the fire, both too hot and too spicy.


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## Dawgluver (Jan 22, 2012)

I agree with the above.  Sour cream, shredded cheddar, dairy will reduce the burn from the capsaisin.  And a big glass of milk!


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## Girl49 (Jan 22, 2012)

*Chili*

Tx, all. Tried a bit more olive oil and some plain Greek yogurt...it helped a little. Froze most of the leftovers and will thin w/more stock and tomatoes, as suggested. Recipe had good flavors...just too much heat. Will mix my chili powders more carefully and use more sparingly next time. 

Serrano pepper so small that I seeded and ribbed it by hand rather than with knife...whew...I must be sensitive to capsaicin. Skin still hot and numb even after washing hands.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jan 22, 2012)

Girl49 said:


> Tx, all. Tried a bit more olive oil and some plain Greek yogurt...it helped a little. Froze most of the leftovers and will thin w/more stock and tomatoes, as suggested. Recipe had good flavors...just too much heat. Will mix my chili powders more carefully and use more sparingly next time.
> 
> Serrano pepper so small that I seeded and ribbed it by hand rather than with knife...whew...I must be sensitive to capsaicin. Skin still hot and numb even after washing hands.



I suspect it was the chipotle powder that put it over the edge.  

Take some vegetable oil and rub it on your hands, then wash your hands with soap and cold water.  The cold water will shrink the pores on your hands and the oil will pick up any capsacin still on your hands.

Whatever you do, keep your hands away from your face and away from anything else you don't want to burn!!!


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## Greg Who Cooks (Jan 22, 2012)

Girl49 said:


> Serrano pepper so small that I seeded and ribbed it by hand rather than with knife...whew...I must be sensitive to capsaicin. Skin still hot and numb even after washing hands.


Perhaps not. IMO serranos are hotter than jalapenos.

You learned a lesson that many of us (me included) learned, wear disposable gloves when cleaning/chopping hot peppers. And definitely do not touch your face or wipe your eyes until gloves off and hands washed.

And another lesson. If you're not sure about hotness cook a milder recipe. You can always serve chopped peppers as a side dish, allowing your diners to pick their own heat.

All the same advice applies to salt. Both salt and hotness can always be added, but neither can ever be subtracted.


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## chopper (Jan 22, 2012)

Dawgluver said:
			
		

> I agree with the above.  Sour cream, shredded cheddar, dairy will reduce the burn from the capsaisin.  And a big glass of milk!



The big glass of milk was the first thing I thought of. A bowl of chili needs a glass of milk anyway.


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## Caslon (Jan 22, 2012)

I've used plain yogurt to tame overly spiced stews, etc. and it doesn't thin it down much at all.


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## LPBeier (Jan 23, 2012)

When we had borders I would make a big pot of chili and make it on the mild side.  Then I would put out various type of chilies such as ancho, cayenne and chili powders, chopped fresh jalapeno and two types of hot sauce.  Everyone could make their chili as mild or hot as they wished.  It worked out great.


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## jennyema (Jan 23, 2012)

I suspect your recipe called for chili powder, which is a spice mix made up of powdered chiles, cumin, oregano and garlic.

1/4 cup is a reasonable amount of that.  I use more.

Adding pure powdered chiles upped the heat quotient a lot.


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## Uncle Bob (Jan 23, 2012)

Gourmet Greg said:
			
		

> All the same advice applies to salt. Both salt and hotness can always be added, but neither can ever *(NEVER)* be subtracted.



This!




			
				Girl49 said:
			
		

> Froze most of the leftovers and will thin w/more stock and tomatoes, as  suggested. Recipe had good flavors...just too much heat.



Rather then diluting your recipe...or morphing it into something other than chili with sugar, sour cream and other "stuff....Consider making another batch or half batch of your recipe...sans all "heat".... then just blend the first batch with the second to maintain the integrity of your recipe...

Fun & Enjoy!


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## CWS4322 (Jan 23, 2012)

Uncle Bob--that's diluting it!


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## Uncle Bob (Jan 23, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> Uncle Bob--that's diluting it!



Adding chili to chili is not diluting....Just as adding a glass of milk to a glass of milk is not diluting it.


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## GLC (Jan 23, 2012)

That's probably the best answer, if one finds out the chili they just made is too hot. Best part is... MORE CHILI! Yay!  Or freeze half.


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## Soma (Jan 24, 2012)

I always serve sour cream, AND yogurt, AND milk with hot foods....

I'm wondering if adding some tiny diced potatoes would help?...( or have helped...I know it's too late now, but for next time...)

or are potatoes simply to reduce an over-salted dish? I've tried that a few times, then removed the potatoes (not diced, too time-consuming to remove diced).


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef (Jan 24, 2012)

Like Uncle Bob said, the only thing that's going to help is to make another batch of the same chili recipe without any herbs and/or spices and mix the two batches together. That way the liquid to solid portions will not be disturbed and your chili won't be watered down.


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## Rocklobster (Jan 24, 2012)

If a dish is has too much of anything the remedy is "Solution by Dilution"

Solely, adding other ingredients is masking. You will still likely have those overpowering flavors unless you dilute the original dish with a substantial amount of other ingredients. I feel you have the best success by adding more of what is already in the dish.  Seems like a lot of trouble but you should quickly make up a small pot of chili with no spices, and add it to the pot you already made. Even if it is just a basic recipe because you probably have no meat left, but you could use tomato, onion, and other ingredients that you have.

Or you can leave the chili like it is, and run out and get another six pack of beer to chase it down with. lol


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## buckytom (Jan 24, 2012)

unless your hubby is gordon ramsay on a bender, i wouldn't worry about the integrity of the dish. it's chili, for pete's sake. not exactly a precision recipe.

besides the good tips offered so far, you can take a tip from thailand/malaysia when it comes to dealing with heat and experiment with adding peanut butter or ground peanuts to the chili.

peanut butter/peanuts help tame the heat from chilis in many thai dishes, and it'll add another level of flavour to your chili that you might like. ground peanuts would also add texture.


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## jennyema (Jan 25, 2012)

Soma said:


> I always serve sour cream, AND yogurt, AND milk with hot foods....
> 
> I'm wondering if adding some tiny diced potatoes would help?...( or have helped...I know it's too late now, but for next time...)
> 
> or are potatoes simply to reduce an over-salted dish? I've tried that a few times, then removed the potatoes (not diced, too time-consuming to remove diced).




Potatoes don't work for salt or heat or sweet or anything.  It's a kitchen myth, disproven by reputable food scientists.

U Bob's suggestion is really the best way


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## Greg Who Cooks (Jan 25, 2012)

I don't think there's any way to fix too hot or too salty by any other means than to cook the same recipe again but without the salt or heat, then mix the two. And then you'd have half as hot or half as salty.

Too bad it's not like too tart where you'd add sugar. But it's not.

I'd advise the OP to serve it with beer, and learn to like too hot. Or toss it and try again next time, with less heat.

I think the recipe mistake involves using the wrong chili pepper and/or spice, as it appears in reading the many replies. Wrong pepper, too hot.

Too bad I'm not the victim. I hardly ever get anything too hot. Most of the time I want hotter. I suppose the OP could get a new DH but maybe that's too drastic a "solution."


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## vagriller (Jan 25, 2012)

My first time making chili with chipotles in adobo sauce I made it WAY too hot. Matter of face I won first place in the hottest category in a chili cookoff. What I did with the leftovers was add beans. That wasn't enough so I served it over more beans. I didn't have all the ingredients to make a second batch so I used what I had on hand. I was still the only one in the house that could eat it though. Word to the wise though, that heat will sneak up on you!


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## slett (Jan 25, 2012)

Like trying to get pee out of a swimming pool!  Next to impossible.  Chili is supposed to be spicy.  I say serve with a glass of milk & enjoy the ride!  A little sour cream never hurt either.


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## allthingsspice (Jan 26, 2012)

Refrigerate the Chilli. Make something else for dinner, double the recipe, tomorrow, and make a new batch of chili, add that batch to the refrigerated chilli. Mix and freeze into 3 portions.  Thaw and severe when desired.  When ever you use a Caspian, always do a search on the HU (heat units) scale of the desired Caspian.  Mistakes are nothing more than experience.


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## Greg Who Cooks (Jan 26, 2012)

The best solution when your chili is too hot is to invite me over, and please have plenty of beer available so I can quench the heat!

Seriously, the only two choices when you added too much hot pepper is to either throw it out or make additional batches without the chili and then mix with the original batch.

In reading this topic it appears to me that the OP inadvertently used the wrong kind of chili pepper. I'm pretty sure that everybody who cooks with chili peppers will agree that there is a HUGE range from the mildest to the hottest chili peppers and ground chili powders, and you have to know what your using to make the heat come out how you like. Always err to the mild side and you can provide crushed chili peppers or hot chili sauce for those who want it hotter.


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## jennyema (Jan 26, 2012)

allthingsspice said:


> Refrigerate the Chilli. Make something else for dinner, double the recipe, tomorrow, and make a new batch of chili, add that batch to the refrigerated chilli. Mix and freeze into 3 portions.  Thaw and severe when desired.  When ever you use a Caspian, always do a search on the HU (heat units) scale of the desired Caspian.  Mistakes are nothing more than experience.



Good advice, but when you do your search type in capsaicin or you might end up in a far away sea!


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## allthingsspice (Jan 26, 2012)

You are correct their is a difference between caspicums and the Caspian sea
 " damn spell check"............. However the Caspian sea does have to offer, a lot of 
 salt, much like the heat of caspicums .......  Can be very Over powering! Much like the origional problem.


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## Andy M. (Jan 26, 2012)

allthingsspice said:


> ...However the Caspian sea does have to offer, a lot of salt,...



True, but if you cut up a raw potato and add it to the Caspian Sea, it will draw some of the salt out making the Caspian Seas taste less salty.

If that doesn't work, get yourself another sea without the salt and combine the two.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jan 26, 2012)

allthingsspice said:


> You are correct their is a difference between caspicums and the Caspian sea
> " damn spell check"............. However the Caspian sea does have to offer, a lot of
> salt, much like the heat of caspicums .......  Can be very Over powering! Much like the origional problem.



CAPsicums...the "P" first, then your spellcheck will like it.


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## allthingsspice (Jan 26, 2012)

One potato does not make any sea anthin....... but a sea with a potato in it! Lets focuse on the origonal problem.


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## allthingsspice (Jan 26, 2012)

And the winner of the spelling bee is Maxine! Many thanks!


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## Greg Who Cooks (Jan 26, 2012)

allthingsspice said:


> One potato does not make any sea anthin....... but a sea with a potato in it! Lets focuse on the origonal problem.





allthingsspice said:


> And the winner of the spelling bee is Maxine! Many thanks!



OH RLY?


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## allthingsspice (Jan 26, 2012)

Capsicuns,  now drum roll ........anything .....everybody happy?


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jan 26, 2012)

Sorry, didn't mean to bother you with spelling.


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## allthingsspice (Jan 26, 2012)

Sorry, Capsicums, my bad!


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## Greg Who Cooks (Jan 26, 2012)

Sorry ATS, it was the comment on "spelling bee" that got my sense of humor going.  In all truth I can't spell that C thing without looking it up anyway. 

But I know that the more I get the better I like it. There's a theory that the chilis stimulate our body's natural opiates by stimulating our pain centers, and that consuming spicy food causes some kind of natural release of bodily responses that our our defense against pain. I think that theory is kind of right. Or all I know for sure is that when food is spicy enough that my scalp sweats I know it's pretty damned good!


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## allthingsspice (Jan 26, 2012)

dyslexia is a real problem for me! I can  spell but my brain will not do its part, it reads the word, but does not see the mispelling.  It 's all good!


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## jennyema (Jan 26, 2012)

I was worried that the Caspians would have sugar, sour cream and potatoes thrown at them for no reason ....


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