Welcome to another episode of Living in Santa Fe. In this episode we are discussing New Mexico's chiles! Red, Green or Christmas?
All you need to know about RED and GREEN chile:
Red and green chile have more in common than you might think and are grown together. Green chiles are picked green and red chiles are left to ripen on the vine.
Autumn is chile season in New Mexico and green chiles are roasted and sold whole. People then peel and freeze green chiles or dry them for green chile powder. Red chiles are traditionally strung into a ristra and hung to dry for later use. I
n this video Ricky talks about liking to buy his green chiles from local growers and roasters. This late in the year, there are a few vendors still roasting on Cerrillos Road and at the Santa Fe Farmer's Market. Better shop soon!
Once you purchase your green chile, it's time to prepare them for freezing. You can freeze chiles raw, but we recommend freezing roasted chiles.
FREEZING CHILES
Make sure to wear gloves!
+ After roasting the chiles (at the roaster or in a pan) let chiles cool and place in a single layer in a freezer bag.
+ You can remove 1 or more at a time from the freezer as you need them. Peel them before freezing them if you like, although it's fine to leave the peel on and remove it after they're thawed.
+ Divide the chopped chiles into 1/2 cup portions--the size of most canned green chiles. This way it's easier to use the frozen chiles in recipes.
+ Place the 1/2 cup portions on a non-stick mat, or parchment paper so that the frozen chiles will release easily. Flash freeze the chopped chile portions. That means put them in the freezer uncovered and let them freeze solid. This will take 4-6 hours.
+ Transfer the frozen portions of chiles to a re-sealable zipper storage bag. Release as much of the air as possible before zipping the bag and storing it in the freezer. If you need chiles to last longer than that (6-8 months), wrap each frozen portion tightly in plastic wrap before adding it to the re-sealable zipper storage bag. (Exposure to air will cause them to degrade faster.)
Ricky's Green Chile Eggs:
6 Ricky's Farm Fresh Eggs
(Scrambled) 1/2 Cup of Hatch roasted green chile
Make your eggs just they way you like them, add prepared/diced green chiles to the mix and serve topped with salt, pepper and Cotija cheese. 