Hatch Chiles back

[wolfe]

Lucky has them(organic) in their weekly ad for tomorrow at 97 cents a pound. I seem to remember from last year they were gone very early.

[johnrsf]

Apparently I missed the availability window for Hatch New Mexico green chiles. I found some "New Mexico" green chiles at the Civic Center farmer's market that, according to the rules of the farmer's market, are presumably grown in California. I'm not sure how these differ from Anaheims. I made one batch of green chile pork stew that passed muster with an El Paso-born friend who just returned to the Bay Area after three years in Albequerque. I don't have much experience with real Hatch chiles, so would be interested in hearing from anyone else who tries the California grown green chiles. The vender is on the south side of the Civic Center market near the Muni/Bart escalator. He sells a variety of other kinds of pepppers as well as tomatoes and melons.

[mrs bacon]

Any more of these around? I thought I bought a sufficient quantity, but seem to be running through my stash faster than I thought!

[rubadubgdub]

You're in luck. Berkeley Bowl just got theirs in. They seem to get them annually. The guy said they're going on display in an hour or so (I talked to Oregon St.) . . .

-----
Berkeley Bowl
2020 Oregon St, Berkeley, CA 94703

[rubadubgdub]

$1.59/lb @ BB however, price seems to be going up. . .

[...tm...]

I got the Hatch chiles at Berkeley Bowl (West) on Friday and roasted them today. I actually ended up getting them for the price of Anaheims (as I saw from the receipt when I got home, and they are visually indistinguishable). I was disappointed in the way they roasted--one (out of 2.5 lbs) started rotting significantly during the two days I kept them, and the rest had very thin flesh, compared to what I got last year (pre-roasted from Nob Hill, Alameda). The taste after roasting was good, though the yield was low, as I already complained. I thought they were mild when I tasted one raw, but they seemed hot when I tasted one roasted.

-----
Berkeley Bowl
2020 Oregon St, Berkeley, CA 94703

[Pius Avocado III]

What a difference a week makes- while last weekend I got shut out showing up at the Alameda Nob Hill Sunday morning at 8am, this evening I called and they had both hot and mild already roasted, bagged and ready to go by the box. The roaster had left but my bag was still warm.

[Ruth Lafler]

Thanks for the tip -- I'll see if I can get some more tomorrow. Probably they didn't have the rush this week because they didn't promote that they were having roasting this week and I think they're not on sale this week. Or maybe they were just better organized. Another thing: last week I was buying the raw chiles inside the store -- there was a display and a pre-printed sign that said "mild or hot" -- but the chiles were just piled loose with no indication of whether they were mild or hot. I waited for the produce guy to bring out some fresh ones, and suggested that it should be noted whether the chiles were mild or hot. Someone pointed out that it says "mild" or "hot" on the box, to which I replied, yes, but they're not IN the box. So the guy rearranged the display and put the whole boxes of chiles (one mild, one hot) on it. Apparently no one at the store was smart enough to think of that themselves.

[jillbeast]

I purchased some roasted at Alameda Nob Hill today the 19th, for $1.39/lb! They have fresh and raw, and all heat levels. Now, what to do with them?? :-)

[emily]

Lots of Hatch chiles as of yesterday at the Mt. View Raley's. All labeled hot. They weren't roasting, so I used my indoor rangetop grill, which worked well enough. Am now cooking some Hatch Green Chile Stew and it's pretty spicy. I was worried the chiles wouldn't be hot enough.

[Ruth Lafler]

I roasted the first batch of mine in the (gas) broiler -- works well enough.

[Barbara76137]

I just put them on my gas grill, roast them, cool them and then put them in ziploc bags whole.

[Allfrog68]

I bought a handful of chiles in Alameda yesterday and roasted them on my grill at home. They seemed very fresh. They should be plump and not wrinkled. I roasted them well and then they peeled very easy. If you have a grill at home that's what I recommend doing. That way you have control over how much you roast them. It took me 10-15 minutes to roast 20-30 of them. Probably would have taken me 1 - 1.5 hours to do a whole box.

Oh yeah, these tasted wonderful. - Native NM'n

[Melanie Wong]

Any other tips from our NM'ns?

[DebitNM]

We are headed out to SF in 2 weeks for our almost annual pilgrimage; will bring chiles in trade for sardines, oysters and all other fish and seafood! LOL. This is the first time that I can remember having something that you guys all want; usually it is the stuff you have that we want!!

[Melanie Wong]

It's growing out here. In previous years, I've been the only person standing around the roaster.

[The Librarian]

Just got back from the Petaluma Raley's. They have cases of chiles and have been roasting them out front since Thursday. Today is the last day. Mine was the first batch roasted at around 2:15, and they'll be roasting until 6:00. The chiles are marked HOT and are 87 cents a pound. I forget how much the boxes are. They look really nice and fresh. They seem to have a lot, so you might be able to still buy them tomorrow and roast them yourself .

-----
Raley's
157 N Mcdowell Blvd, Petaluma, CA

[rabaja]

Great, thank you. I'll post my posole recipe on HCing either today or tomorrow. Not that it's much of a recipe, I mostly wing it. I'm sure others will chime in with good posole tips, though.

[Melanie Wong]

My case of Hots is in the roaster at Petaluma Raley's now. Only had 2 people ahead of me. Some adjustments had to be made, I asked the clerk to turn up the heat to max. Now you can hear the roar of the gas and the peppers are crackling. Much more roasted scent than when I first got here.

-----
Raley's
157 N Mcdowell Blvd, Petaluma, CA

[wolfe]

To get him to do that do you have to flash your KCBS badge?;-)

[Melanie Wong]

Nope. :-) The people ahead of me had been watching their chiles spin for nearly a half-hour. I told them the flame wasn't high enough and that the peppers were just getting a sun tan. Seriously, they were just kind of speckled instead of blistered and the skins weren't starting to peel off when they bounced inside the grill grate. When it was my turn, the staffer offered to change to a fresh tank for more fire power and then another guy came by and showed him how to open up the valve to maximum. Whoosh, flame ON!!!

My chiles were only in the roaster for 16 minutes. I waited until most were soft enough to start to collapse. I mostly use the chiles for soups and stewy dishes where I'm chopping them anyway, so I don't worry about keeping them whole. When I packed them into bags for freezing, I separated out the large and mostly whole ones from the ones that had split for labeled them for different uses.

[The Librarian]

Great - wish we could have run into each other. Maybe we should all have a Hatch chile potluck some time!

[Melanie Wong]

That's a great idea!

I timed the process and it took 16 minutes to roast a case (1 1/8 bushel or 23 to 27 lbs raw). I stopped by Grocery Outlet in Petaluma afterwards and was please to see that Johnson Ziploc quart freezer bags were available for $1.99, in the detergent section, not with the other wraps and plastic bags. My chiles are packed away in 10 bags, chilling in the bottom drawer of the fridge to cool them off, then I'll pop 'em in the freezer. A lot of the skin rubbed off already.

Edited to add: I learned that Raley's/Nob Hill owns about a dozen roasters. Which stores get them is based on chile sales. The guy in Petaluma said he'll get a message first thing Monday morning letting him know whether he can keep the roaster tomorrow or has to send it back on the truck. He advised to called mid-day and there's a chance that Petaluma Raley's will still be roasting chiles on Monday afternoon if the store's sales numbers warrant it.

[j mather]

Nob Hill Walnut Creek has them but you have to roast them yourself, which I did today. Mmmm, green chile cheeseburgers some time this week, and carnitas tonight. The hot aren't as hot as last year but still good.

[rabaja]

I bought a case of HOT from the Lucky's in Sonoma. $19.99 and I'm roasting them myself. It's a labor of love, but they are worth it.
May go back for a case of MED if I can find them. Not sure the folks here in Sonoma are so into them, so I may get lucky.
I peel and stem before freezing, leaving the seeds so I can determine what I want later when I use them. Good to know I can just freeze them whole and roasted it I lose steam roasting that second case.
The best posole I've ever made was with these chiles!

[The Librarian]

Posole recipe please, please, please!

[Melanie Wong]

I called the Raley's in Petaluma today. It's been roasting on-site since Thursday. Roasting will continue tomorrow afternoon (Sunday) from about 2pm to 6pm. The store manager did say that he expects to be busy and that quantities are by the case. This is where i bought my chiles last year, and the guy roasting them did a great job. I only had about three peppers of a full case where the skins didn't slip off easily.

-----
Raley's
157 N Mcdowell Blvd, Petaluma, CA

[Veggo]

It's entertaining to watch what had been for years a sleepy, annual tradition in New Mexico and southern Colorado suddenly discovered elsewhere and its popularity becoming cult-like. Good fun. Passa, you out there?

[wolfe]

Green chiles, you know he is.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/8059...

[Pius Avocado III]

You wouldn't be so entertained were you caught in the extreme dysfunction at Nob Hill Alameda which is threatening my annual fix as I type...

[Veggo]

Think of it as growing pains, and stretch marks from birth....:)

I likewise fear for the reliability of my hitherto clockwork-like and affordable sources...

[Gumbogirl]

Nob Hill Mountain View finally has both mild and hot hatch chiles. The product manager said the hot are not "very hot" this year. $.89 / lb.

[Melanie Wong]

That's what the guy in Petaluma said too, and he has been cooking them himself at home. I tried two tonight. The first one was quite hot, about jalapeno level, and I thought I might regret getting all hot. But the second one was a lot less spicy, less than medium. So, if those two represent the average, i'll be fine with this batch.

I also noticed that the chiles were larger and thicker this year than last.

[Allfrog68]

I'm glad you are all posting this info. I'm a native NM'n and am glad I checked out this board tonite. I'll be making some special rice this weekend where the roasted chiles will work in perfectly. Wanted to share that one of my favorite way to have fresh roasted chiles is on a toasted tortilla (preferably nm'n) with butter and nothing else. If you have a slightly sweet, spicy chile this is the food of gods in my opinion. Simple but wonderful.

[prpjam]

Chile Roasting "Gossip"

I just got back from the San Ramon store with my roasted chiles. That store only got hot chiles today. I was told that they got 15 boxes of hot today and are getting medium tomorrow. When I got there, they were already roasting chiles for someone else. I was next. From when I arrived to when I departed was just over 1.5 hours. I got a whole box. The price for a box, roasted was $24.99. A box, not roasted, was $19.99. They had a small roaster. They will be roasted today and Saturday until 5 pm. When I was there, people were asking faster than they could roast.

The person before me is going to Alameda tomorrow. She heard that that store is getting 100 boxes. The Alameda store is roasting Saturday and Sunday until 5 pm. She also thought that Alameda would have a larger roaster.

From my observation roasting chiles is way more labor intensive than any money they could be making. I hope that everyone who buys thanks them.

The woman before me was from Mexico. She said the same thing that my aunt said. You freeze them with the stems on and seeds in. When you defrost the chiles is when you take the stems off and any seeds out. They are way easier to handle that way. Hey, I do not know, but that is what I am going to do. She also said that the ones she gets today she will not freeze until tomorrow. The more time in the bag, the better. And, I noticed that when she got the bags she twisted the tops way more than the employees did to keep the chiles steaming.

[prpjam]

I can report that my chiles were not roasted long enough for the skins to slip off. Make sure that yours are. But, hey, I am still happy overall. I just cooked the chiles more.

[Ruth Lafler]

UPDATE: Picked up a flyer from the Alameda Nob Hill that says the roaster will be there next Saturday/Sunday (9/10-11) from 8-5. Last year they couldn't keep up with the demand, and the best thing to do was go in and order them, then pick them up at a later date.

[prpjam]

Just found out from the San Ramon store that they are roasting this Friday and Saturday. The produce guy said that they had just gotten off the phone with the distribution center. Yesterday, they were told they would be shorted, but today the news is that their store is supposed to get plenty, maybe because they are roasting. I did not ask.

Then I called my Aunt in New Mexico. She recommended not taking the stems out before freezing because they are easier to handle later when you thaw them out. She also leaves most of the seeds in for stronger flavor. Has anyone tried leaving on the stems and leaving in the seeds?

[Ruth Lafler]

Thanks for the info -- I hope people are following the updates!

Last time I just put them in the freezer bags, skins, stems and all. Worked fine. Better, actually, because the peppers keep their integrity. When you take out the stems they tend to fall apart in to strips, rather than whole peppers.

[The Librarian]

I agree. I froze the ones I roasted last week unpeeled and unstemmed. When I defrosted them yesterday to use, the skins came right off, and they stayed whole. I did take the seeds out because I didn't want them super spicy.

[Martin Strell]

I just went to the Alameda store. The guy there with the one roaster was nice, but obviously stressed out. He put me on a wait list and told me I MIGHT be able to get a box tomorrow. Sounds like the thing to do is to get there when they open at 8AM.

[prpjam]

What I can say is that I have almost finished peeling my box worth of chiles. Wow, it has been way more work that I ever imagined. I would say only 10 percent of the chiles where cooked long enough at the store. I had to cook the rest in the oven and let them steam longer.

I had thought this would be easier than bringing the chiles home frozen from New Mexico which I have done before. I am going there next week and could have done that. I am reevaluating. Next time, I am bring them back frozen.

My cousin said that the people doing the roasting here are amateurs trying to learn as they go. I still appreciate Raley's for doing this.

The other amazing thing is how small the yield of chile flesh is from what was in the box. Veggo said that and he was correct.

-----
Raley's
157 N Mcdowell Blvd, Petaluma, CA

[Melanie Wong]

Last year at the Petaluma store the guy roasting them asked me before he pulled my order out of the roaster. If they hadn't been seared enough, I would have asked him to keep going.

[Ruth Lafler]

They're not taking any more orders. They guy doing the roasting was told that they weren't going to allow pre-orders and then when he got there there was a huge list of people who had made orders. He also said there are bigger roasters he could have brought, but they told him to bring the small one. Considering the huge demand they had last year, I don't know why they didn't bring in a larger roaster. Nice idea to have roasting, but very poorly planned -- why have roasting on site if people can't actually buy the product?

[Martin Strell]

I just got back with my hatch chiles (first time for me) from the Alameda Nob Hill. They were talking about taking new orders after yesterday's orders are filled, but it looks like yesterday's orders will take them through late afternoon at least. l also heard a manager say that there's a larger roaster, but they stopped using it because it breaks down too often. He said that next year, they would use two of the small roasters instead of one. I feel bad for the guy doing the roasting. He's a nice guy, but he seems to get a lot of the customer anger directed at him.

[Gumbogirl]

After several calls to the produce manager at Nob Hill Mountain View searching for hatch chiles, I finally contacted Raley's corporate. They will have hatch chiles in store on 9/14. Unfortunately this will be the second year in a row without a roaster at Mountain View. Last year I tried an experiment with some of my hatch chiles. I didn't have time to roast all of my stash. I froze some whole on a cookie sheet and then packed them into zip locks. I pulled what I needed from the freezer and roasted them semi thawed. Worked incredibly well. The chiles kept their shape and texture.

[Veggo]

I'm out of territory, but I bought 12 pounds of fresh roasted Hatch in Fort Worth last weekend, gave away about 4 pounds, and peeled and seeded the remainder the next day. Took about 2 hours. I put them in 10 Zip Lock pint bags and froze them, exactly 2 quarts. Some I will chop when I use them, but for quesadillas and chili burgers I like the nice pelt, as I call them.
Like a drawer full of warm socks, in the freezer!

[prpjam]

Veggo,

Could you explain a little more about how much chili you got from the eight pounds that you peeled? Are you saying that eight pounds only yielded two quarts? If that is true, then I want to get more like 20 pounds. Thank you to you and Ruth for posting.

[Veggo]

There is some loss of course from peeling and stem and seed removal, but there was also at least a quart of liquid in the plastic bag when I finished preparing them the following day. The 2 quarts were quite dense, in neat layers, and seem like quite a bit. You can freeze them when they cool from the roaster and peel them later when you thaw and use them, but they will take up a lot more space.

[Ruth Lafler]

Yes, I posted the Raleys/Nob Hill info above. I emailed their customer service -- they've always been very good at getting back to me.

[artychokeasana]

We bought a few pounds at the Lucky's on Edgewater in Foster City. Roasted them Sunday night-had a few as part of a salad and froze the rest. They had a lot of heat-mouth tingly warm breathy sort of heat.

[KatoK]

Lots of nice fresh chilies at Lucky in Livermore. 97 cents per pound, whole cases for $20. The produce guy said that they were not too hot. I got 10 pounds that I am roasting tonight.

[wolfe]

I roasted mine and incorporated them into a Beecher's Flagship Cheddar Cheese bread that turned out to be a little hot for some sensitive palates but manna for many.

[Dan Wodarcyk]

I've seen mixed recipes regarding the seeds. Keep all seeds, dispose of all seeds, keep some? Certainly adds to the heat, but I disposed of the bunch of seeds at the top near the stem yet kept the rest, in the salsa I made. Suggestions?

[rubadubgdub]

I think it just depends on how much heat you want regardless of recipe. More seeds = more heat unless your chiles are mild. I might do a little taste test first. But if memory serves these chiles have some heat.

[truepeacenik]

Lucky's MacArthur (Laurel District) had one box this morning, expecting two more, so call ahead.

If the cashier gets lost, they are coded as Anaheim.
I raw taste tested. These are Hatch.
Still 97cents/lb

[rainey]

I've never used a hatch chile but I saw them in the market the other day.

What's special about them? Should I be searching them out?

[truepeacenik]

yes. seek them out.
Botanically, they are your anaheims.
But they grow at high altitude and get a difficult to replicate at low altitude flavor.

I wondered, bought Anaheims when I moved out and taste tested (I brought a LOT with me on the train from Colorado).
Anaheims have a brighter note and Hatch a more earthy note, but I am simplifying.

On second thought, don't seek them out. I want them all! :-)

[rainey]

:)

[Dan Wodarcyk]

Found them at a Napa Lucky's today (north). Last year Nob Hill carried them. Scored the last 2 pounds (.97/pd) and wasted no time roasting them. More coming in tomorrow they told me.

[mrs bacon]

I think I want to grab a few more pounds at Lucky's to freeze. What's the consensus on roasting, then freezing. Should I remove the seeds after roasting (saw one article that said it was easier to remove the seeds before)? Leave the skin on for freezing?

[rubadubgdub]

I would leave intact. The skin and seeds practically fall off when you thaw. My theory is that it's best to keep the flesh shielded from freezing's effects. Plus I like to parcel out the work.

[Pius Avocado III]

Seconded. Roasting then freezing as-is produces excellent results.

[Ruth Lafler]

Plus, if you leave the skin on it's easier to break off a couple while still frozen (or partially thawed). If you remove the skins and seeds and freeze you no longer have chiles -- more like chile mush.

[wally]

Not necessarily. I freeze peppers after they are roasted on cookie sheets and then put the frozen peppers in vacuum sealed bags. Works well, no mush.

[Mission]

None at Laural Lucky's in Oakland today.

Sold out!

Produce Guy said All Lucky's are sold out.

[rubadubgdub]

Hmmm I bought some 1 hr ago and I left some for others. Marina village alameda and the one off MacArthur

[Mission]

Are you sure they were "Hatch" chilies?

I was at the one on MacArthur at 3:00 this afternoon and talked to their Produce manager.

He said "No mas"

Here or in Lucky's Distribution center.

Hmmmm!

[rubadubgdub]

Yep, sign said so. Fwiw Alameda had more though the produce guy @ MacA was going to look in back for but I told him not to bother

[The Librarian]

I've never roasted my own before and am amazed at how much they shrink in the process. I will try to get several more pounds in the next few days. I guess the moral of the story is to buy way more than you think you need.

[wally]

As one who once took a case of roasted chilies on a flight from Albuquerque to Chicago, with late flights and lost luggage, you can have way more than you need and it is not always good.

[mrs bacon]

Scored a couple pounds in SF today. Might go back for more!

[chezzaSF]

Mrs Bacon where did you find fresh Hatch chilies in SF? Or anyone where can they be found within easy mass transit of SF? And organic I hope.
The El Cerito Luckys has only mild. Any hot around? Thx!

[wolfe]

Apparently there were some non-milds in the box since they were too much for my local supertaster, see below.

[mrs bacon]

chezzaSF, I found them at Lucky's on Fulton and Masonic (there's also one on Sloat) at the sale price of $.97 per pound. The ad says they're organic.

[rubadubgdub]

This Lucky deal sounds lucky for some! Last year I bought some at BBowl and I made this apple pie with some:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/17/din...

It was one of the best apple pies I've eaten! Great mystery ingredient esp since my chiles had some heat to them (and also b/c I didn't remove all the seeds). The cheese in the crust was unnecessary I thought. Oh, and it's probably too early but if you can get your paws on some Spitzenburg apples (also avail at the Bowl for a limited time in the fall), your pie will be tops.

[The Librarian]

Mission accomplished! He bought two pounds and, in addition, was treated to a cantaloupe juggling exhibition by the produce guy. Apparently the Novato Lucky's has an even bigger supply. Now on to roasting and freezing.

[Ruth Lafler]

Organic for 97 cents? That's a real steal!

I just emailed Raleys to ask if they are going to be roasting chiles this year.

-----
Raley's
3360 San Pablo Dam Rd, El Sobrante, CA 94803

[Ruth Lafler]

Answer from Raleys/Nob Hill:

"We are going to be roasting Hatch chilies at select stores. We will
have the chilies available September 14th. Please check our website at
the beginning of September for additional information and the roasting
schedule."

[...tm...]

Thanks for checking up, Ruth. The roasted Hatch chilies I got from the Alameda Nob Hill was one of my best bargains last year. I'll definitely be back--it is definitely worth it to get them roasted in their rotating barrels. I got a couple pounds unroasted for about half the price of the roasted version and despite my constant attention (which is a lot of timedollars) they weren't as evenly roasted/easy to pull of the exterior skin as the store roasted version.

[Pius Avocado III]

That's a full 3 weeks later than usual; I wonder why.

[Ruth Lafler]

I'm guessing that's when the supply they've contracted for will be ready. Seems odd, though, that they would be harvesting late, given the weather conditions in the Southwest this summer.

[truepeacenik]

Snow and cold lingered late in San Luis Valley, so I assume New Mexico got a late start, too.
i'm so happy to see they get out here.
What is a typical price here in the East Bay and do roasters ever set up at farmers markets?
thanks,
Colorado Gal in withdrawal

[twocents]

Yeah, must be more a contract thing than anything else. I saw an active roasting operation at a Central Market in Houston on the 21st of August; they even had Hatch chile macarons, which didn't taste much like chiles, but there was a bit of heat on them.

[Barbara76137]

Seems like there was no shortage of both the mild and hot here in Fort Worth this year. I've found them various places in the .99 range and as little as .88 a few weeks ago. I'll be in Rancho Murieta and Santa Rosa this weekend so I'm scoping out all the foods I miss from California. I could probably eat 24/7 during my visit and still not be satisfied.

[wolfe]

Hit the El Cerrito Lucky at 8:10 and found a young lady with 5-6 bags already full. She had hoped to score 2 cases but was foiled by their only having one. I grabbed 2 pounds and left. I could have been shut out if they could have tared the box.

[The Librarian]

Sending the husband to check out if they have them at the Lucky's in Larkspur. Will report back!

[artychokeasana]

thanks for the heads up! now I need to find a Lucky's (I don't pass one on any of my daily routes-which seems odd to me.) i just returned for a week in santa fe and am suffering withdrawal so your post is oh so timely for me.