Wanna talk green chili?

[lalbers]

Yes, balcony, I too have had insipid chili, I usually give it away, as I don't want to waste freezer space on it- and get some more. I taste the chili before I buy it- albiet it doesn't taste the same after roasting, but you can still see if it has a bite to it (or too much!) I love it later in the season when a bag has mixed red and green- to me, the red often are sweeter, but with the same bite. I like to mix them up. I've never heard of joe parker type, but around here, big jim is no more than a bell pepper in taste- but if joe parker is good and grows there- grow on!

[BalconyFarmer]

Originally Posted by lalbers

Yes, balcony, I too have had insipid chili, I usually give it away, as I don't want to waste freezer space on it- and get some more. I taste the chili before I buy it- albiet it doesn't taste the same after roasting, but you can still see if it has a bite to it (or too much!) I love it later in the season when a bag has mixed red and green- to me, the red often are sweeter, but with the same bite. I like to mix them up. I've never heard of joe parker type, but around here, big jim is no more than a bell pepper in taste- but if joe parker is good and grows there- grow on!

The peppers in the photo I posted are mixed 'Joe Parker' and 'Big Jim' from my garden a couple years ago--I harvested 53 lbs from one small bed!

I'm surprised you haven't heard of 'Joe Parker'--it used to be one of the main chiles grown in Hatch Valley, I'm sure you've eaten them. They're a little smaller than 'Big Jim' and some of the newer chiles, about 7-9". They're also a little hotter. I like 'Big Jim' because the chiles are so thick, I can roast them right on the coals for a deep-roasted flavor in the green chile. I like to mix the two varieties.

I'm not a fan of ripe green chiles--out here, they get really sweet, and even with a few of them in the chile the sweetness dominates. But if I harvest a few at the yellow stage, just before red, they add a little pleasant sweetness. Once they're red, I dry them to make chile colorado.

My plants are this year are kicking out a lot of chiles. I harvested a few last week and made my first batch of green chile, it was delicious! Not quite as much heat as I like, but the early chiles are usually a little tamer. I'll post pictures of this year's harvest.

I hope you have a great green chile season in New Mexico this year!

[Marlon]

Green chili which is at one time very beneficiary to the body even on the very same time it is very bad for the stomach and is prohibited for those who suffer in stomach pain.

[lalbers]

Oh, balcony, have you ever had some red chili from the espanola valley? They are so much better (at least the last few years) than some of the others. Also the chili's from around Soccoro- oh, they are good too. the red ones are sweet, but have that nice bite to them, along with the greens. Can't wait till October and the second harvest, which is the best. Ok, I'm gonna make some chili rellano's tonight.

[BalconyFarmer]

Originally Posted by lalbers

Oh, balcony, have you ever had some red chili from the espanola valley? They are so much better (at least the last few years) than some of the others. Also the chili's from around Soccoro- oh, they are good too. the red ones are sweet, but have that nice bite to them, along with the greens. Can't wait till October and the second harvest, which is the best. Ok, I'm gonna make some chili rellano's tonight.

Lalbers, I'm writing these down, and looking forward to tasting them! We'll have to put them on our chile tour map for our next trip out. Thanks for letting me know about them. I hope you enjoyed your chile rellanos!

[lalbers]

Balcony, if you go through Los Lunas, there is a little stand just on the other side of the river that sells some great green chili from socorro. If you go up to Espanola, just north of town, on the way to Abiquiu there is a great stand that sells local chili- also one in the middle of the town of espanola

[BalconyFarmer]

Originally Posted by lalbers

Balcony, if you go through Los Lunas, there is a little stand just on the other side of the river that sells some great green chili from socorro. If you go up to Espanola, just north of town, on the way to Abiquiu there is a great stand that sells local chili- also one in the middle of the town of espanola

We've been to the stand in Espanola, and we're just starting to run out of the chiles we bought there. Looking forward to adding Los Lunas to our next trip. You say the fall crop is better than the mid-summer crop, eh? We may have had some of the fall crop when we were out at Christmas a few years back, but mostly, we've had the summer crop. How is the fall crop better than the summer crop?

[lalbers]

I'm not sure- I just always get my chili in september or october- they seem to have a better flavor, and are fatter. Plus, I like having some red mixed in.