Yep, it’s that time of the year again. Time to head down to your favorite New Mexico green chile supplier and stock up for winter.
By now, the big steel chile roasters have been rolled out in front of stores and you might be down to your last frozen bag or two from the previous season. Folks all over New Mexico are picking up their sacks and boxes full of freshly roasted green goodness.
Once it’s home, you go through the ritual of placing it in zip lock baggies and clearing out some freezer space to store it. You feel a sense of security that you are covered for the long haul until next season.
Better Too Much Than Too Little
One year I made the mistake of buying a few pounds less than I usually do. By April I was buying chile in plastic containers from the freezer aisle at quite the premium price.
According to local roasters here in Las Cruces, NM, the average customer picks up around 20 to 40 pounds at a time. Despite the large number of local buyers, for many of these suppliers, a large part of their business comes from shipping to out of state customers.
What Goes With New Mexico Green Chile?
In New Mexico, green chile is used in just about everything from pasta to frozen desserts or just about anything you can think of. Green chile stew, enchiladas, burgers, carne… the list goes on and on. Think of the scene in Forrest Gump where Bubba goes on for hours naming off dishes that feature shrimp. We are passionate about our New Mexico green chile!
The best place to experience some of the best recipes all in one spot is the annual Hatch Valley Chile Festival. This two day event attracts over 30,000 visitors a year from across the United States. The 2018 event will be the festival’s 47th year and will take place on September 1st and 2nd in Hatch, NM. Visit www.hatchchilefest.com for more information.
A Healthy Snack
You don’t have to feel guilty about your green chile cravings. Believe it or not, both red and green chile are a healthy treat – aside from the half pound cheese burger you’re thinking about adding them to.
According to The Hatch Chile Store:
• A Green Chile pod has as much Vitamin-C as 6 oranges. As the Chile matures and turns red the Vitamin-C count drops and the amount of Vitamin-A dramatically increases. This is due to an increase in carotene, the chemical that creates the red and orange colors of ripe chiles.
• Chiles also contain calcium, phosphorus, iron, potassium, thiamine (b1), riboflavin (b2), niacin (b3) and a host of antioxidant agents.
• A teaspoon of red Chile powder meets the recommended daily allowance for Vitamin-A. Vitamin-A plays an important role in vision and bone growth.
How About You?
Are you stocking up this season? What New Mexico green chile dishes do you find yourself returning to time after time or where are some of your favorite places to get your chile fix?
Let us know in the comment section below!
