Oh, hot peppers -- they've created a big divide between those who love a little spice in their food, and those who recoil at the littlest bit of tongue sass. Michael Ruhlman is, no surprise, in the former category. He just put up a great blog about the lovely spice of peppers, and said, quite aptly: "These fruity, spicy wonders make life better in so many ways." Indeed! Now if only I could get my friends on board so that I don't get looks of startled pain when I throw a little bit of spice in. (Says the girl who can only handle a strong medium heat herself, but she's learning.)
Anyway, the post holds one little bit of knowledge that makes me wish I had The Elements of Cooking a few years ago: "The heat in chillis (capsaicin) resides in the white flesh to which the seeds are attached..." See, a few years ago, during the height of cheap tomato season, I prepared to make a lot of salsa. So, I sat myself down and prepared a slew of jalapenos to go in the mix -- and I stupidly cleaned out the insides with my fingernails.
I washed my hands a few times, but once that juice gets under the nails ... searing pain! Imagine putting your hand in an oven or fire and feeling it burn, but your skin staying in tact -- for a good twelve hours. So, my friends, it might be easier to scrape out the insides with your fingers, but it's so very worth it to use a knife.
New York Times Magazine's food issue
Chicken McNuggets frolic at New York City pet store
Eat your broccoli orbs! 
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-17-2008 @ 9:30AM
Helen said...
Wash your hands (and under your nails) with a water/bleach mixture. I think it was a 10-1 ratio. The bleach breaks down the capsaicin into a water-soluable salt, so regular soap and water will take it right off!
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6-17-2008 @ 9:54AM
Melissa A. said...
Uh yeah, I did this a while ago with a variety pack of peppers. I was in so much pain. I tried soaking my hands in different things. I tried cutting my finger nails. It SUCKED. Eventually I just had to sit and wait. I need to pick up some latex gloves.
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6-17-2008 @ 10:58AM
jdhawk said...
Helen is 100% right, of course I just end up pouring a splash of bleach directly on my hands, but diluted solutions work just as well....never even notice you chopped the peppers.
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6-17-2008 @ 10:59AM
Monika said...
Helen and JD -- You're both very lucky! I did the bleach thing, and then tried every other suggestion that could be found online, and none of them worked.
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6-17-2008 @ 12:59PM
wynk said...
I just put on nitrile exam gloves beforehand. Cleanup is easy. ;)
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6-17-2008 @ 1:01PM
Astin said...
The various methods of removing the capsaicin work only if done quickly. The problem is that if it sits too long, you'll have a chemical burn, so removing the cause won't do anything for the pain anymore. Only time will heal it at that point.
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6-17-2008 @ 5:59PM
Andy said...
Why don't you just use a spoon to scrape out the insides of peppers? That's what I do for jalepenos and anaheim and the likes. Very easy. Just cut off the upper cap with the stem, halve it lengthwise, and then spoon out the insides.
Very quick, little to no contact w/ capsaicin. If I'm ever feeling "iffy" I just "wash" my hands off w/ a bit of milk and then w/ soap. Never any pain later.
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6-17-2008 @ 9:05PM
badfrog101 said...
I did this and then thoughtlessly wiped my eyes. Ouch. The burning got so intense that I removed my soft contact lenses. With my fingers. After rinsing my eyes and washing my hands I replaced the lenses. Oops. Fortunately the burning effect stopped after a few days in the storage solution, and I wore my old glasses in the meantime.
I just want all you kids to know that I did this without the aid of drugs or alcohol.
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6-21-2008 @ 12:39PM
Eric said...
I use a melon baller if I want to get the insides out of a pepper, like for poppers. I also try to remember to use latex or nitrile gloves for the hotter peppers like habaneros, bhut jolokia or fatalii. The other day I cut up some HUGE red habaneros to put them into a jar of pickles I just bought (try it!), and forgot to wear gloves. A couple of my fingers were burning for 3 days!
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