Learned something new about peppers this weekend!

[Lugaru]

Hey, learned something new the other day. We got a huge container (1.5 to 2 pounds) of mixed Jalapeno, guajillo and Habanero peppers from stop and shop for about a dollar, which is a great deal because the storms in the south killed off a lot of pepper crops pushing prices up to 3 or 4 bucks a pound. They where “old” but peppers have a great shelf life and are still good when lightly wrinkled, if not better.

So I proceeded to roast them and then peel, seed and vein them by hand. Big mistake. My hands turned into two cursed, corrosive bearers of pain and suffering. Trying to blow my nose made me feel like I had just gotten pepper sprayed and every thing I picked up was made super spicy (heck, at one point I picked up a cube of cheese, popped it into my mouth and just a couple of seconds of contact made it really spicy).

Any way’s a friend from another forum (chef in china who often deals with some real nasty peppers too) told me that if you dip your hands in milk the cassene neutralizes the capsaicin from the peppers and well, it did work. So thanks to her I actually got to sleep with my hands outside of the pillow case (and avoided any traumatic bathroom experiences). Well, have a good one!

 

[SierraCook]

I usually work with hot peppers without gloves. That has not been a problem since I only use small amounts (3-4 peppers). The mistake I made was washing my hands and then wiping them on a kitchen towel. Later that day when something was making my eyes water, I wiped them with the same towel. Talk about brutal!! My eyes hurt so bad. I have learned my lesson. Either use gloves or wipe your hands on a paper towel and throw it away. Thanks for the tip about the milk.

 

[Pam Leavy]

Great tip! thanks.

Yesterday I deseeded one red pepper, chopped it, washed my hands, pushed my hair out of my eyes, and OUCH.

Burning eyelid. It could have been worse.

Pam

great bargain on the peppers.

 

[norgeskog]

double ouch

 

[Bangbang]

Milk does work. I am a Chili Head and have eatin the hottest stuff on the planet. I like to get out the hot sauce collection,and fresh peppers(habenaros) with my friends and family. I always have plenty of milk and bread available to manage the heat if it gets to hot. This is a blast :!:

 

[kleenex]

How about washing your hands with water and then drying them off with some toilet paper you throw away in the toilet.

Got to create pepper spray from something,

 

[JohnL]

Wow Lugaro,
I never knew about the milk routine, Ill have to try it the next time.
I usually wash my hands in Dawn dish detergent and thats seems to help quite a bit. Glad you got a good deal on the peppers though. I grow them in the summer and then freeze them for use in the winter, it works quite well.

 

[Haggis]

Milk works wonders when dousing a fire in your mouth, in fact so do all dairy products.

Nothing better than having a hot, flavourful curry with a coriander and lime yoghurt (cucumber optional) raita on the side, or perhaps even over the top.

Another thing that helps cool you down are sliced bananas toss in dessicated coconut, they are a great accompaniment to a hot curry.

On a side note, I have a method of isolating the capsaicinoids (the stuff that gives chillies their heat). I should make some up for the upcoming invetiable prank season during the first few weeks of my college at uni.

 

[Lugaru]

Mmmm... raita.

About washing your hands... I did so about 4 to 8 times but it had no real effect, latter I found out that the cold water if any thing helped trap the chili oils into my skin.

It didint help that I skinned over 20 peppers producing a 1 lt tequila bottle full of thick pepper paste. I need to take a pic of it some time, it's great stuff too.

 

[GB]

A few years ago my brother brought me some jalapeño peppers he had grown in his garden. I sliced a few up (without gloves) and used them in whatever dish I was making. I tasted a piece as I was chopping them and was very disappointed to find they had no heat at all. They we sweet like a green bell pepper. Well what my tongue did not detect my skin sure did. About an hour later my hand, eyes, nose, and other parts of my body ( ) were on fire. I was in serious pain and nothing I did would make the pain go away except time. Eventually I was only in minor pain and could resume my life, until the next morning when I took my shower. As soon as the water hit the affected parts of my skin the pain came right back even stronger than before. This went on for a full 8 days. After the first two days the pain was a lot less, but it still made showering very difficult. I will never again chop and hot peppers without protection!!!

 

[SizzlininIN]

Lugaru.........you triggered an memory of something that happened to my ex and it involved peppers. One night him and his buddies were trying to be the macho men they thought they were and were seeing who could eat these hot peppers we had.....those little red buggers. Keep in mind they had a few too many drinks under their belt at the time so they thought they were made out of steel. Well the next day i was in the kitchen and out of no where I heard this hooping and hollering and he came flying out of the bathroom bare butt naked screaming like a wild coyote.....thank god I didn't have company. Needless to say his tail end was on fire because if you drink Budweiser you know whats gonna happen the next day in the bathroom. I literally fell on the floor lmao while he scrambled to the freezer for ice. Guess I should of told him to take a Milk Sitz Bath .

 

[crewsk]

ROFLMAO Sizz!!! I've been in that situation before & it's no fun but I can just imagine a guy running through the house like that!

 

[SizzlininIN]

I had many eventful moments with him....still do as we're still good friends. I still have a lot of laughs at his expense. Serves him right for all those years I had to put up with his sorry xxx. Its funny how someone can mention just one little thing and it can trigger a memory you'd forgotten.
I'm still sitting here laughing about that memory. I think i'll give him a call and harrass him about it

 

[Bangbang]

Lugaru.........you triggered an memory of something that happened to my ex and it involved peppers. One night him and his buddies were trying to be the macho men they thought they were and were seeing who could eat these hot peppers we had.....those little red buggers. Keep in mind they had a few too many drinks under their belt at the time so they thought they were made out of steel. Well the next day i was in the kitchen and out of no where I heard this hooping and hollering and he came flying out of the bathroom bare butt ***** screaming like a wild coyote.....thank god I didn't have company. Needless to say his tail end was on fire because if you drink Budweiser you know whats gonna happen the next day in the bathroom. I literally fell on the floor lmao while he scrambled to the freezer for ice. Guess I should of told him to take a Milk Sitz Bath .