The last few days of summer found me in the garden, harvesting an impressive rainbow of heat from one of my raised beds. Red hot chili peppers, jalapeños, Trinidad scorpions, habaneros, ring of fire, cayenne peppers, you name it, it was probably glowing ominously at me from the plants. It had been an excellent year for peppers, thanks in part to my new solar irrigation setup (and the sizzling summer heat that apparently peppers love far more than humans do).
By the end of harvest, I had somewhere in the neighborhood of 70 hot peppers in my basket. As much as I’d like to think I could cook my way through them in a week, reality said otherwise. Enter my favourite food waste hack: chopping and freezing hot peppers. Not only does this extend their shelf life, but it also makes them a quick grab-and-go option when a recipe calls for heat. Easy, right?
The Great Pepper Mistake
What I had not prepared for was the reality of chopping that many spicy peppers in one sitting. A wiser gardener would have worn gloves. A much wiser gardener would have worn a hazmat suit. Or maybe some goggles. I thought frequent hand washing would be enough. Spoiler alert: it was not.
Within minutes, my eyes were stinging, my sinuses were on fire, and my hands felt like I’d stuck them in a campfire. The capsaicin clung to my skin like it had signed a lease, and no amount of soap and water would evict it.
Desperate Measures
I washed and scrubbed until my hands were raw. Hours later, still burning, I turned to the internet. Desperation led me to try every trick I could find:
- Oil scrubs – messy, but decently effective at loosening the fiery oils.
- Aloe vera gel – blessed relief, at least for short stretches.
- Cold water and lotions – mildly helpful, though mostly just gave me something to do while I waited.
Nothing worked immediately, but the oil and aloe together made the burn bearable. In the end, it took about 36 hours before my hands finally cooled down to their normal, non-volcanic state.
Lessons Learned (a.k.a. How Not to Set Your Hands on Fire)
So, what did I learn from my accidental audition for “Survivor: Hot Pepper Edition”? This is one of the rare cases where I guess my husband was right.
- Wear gloves. Always. Even if you think you’re “just chopping a few jalapeños.” Future-you will thank present-you.
- Use oil first, soap second. Capsaicin is oil-based, so scrubbing with oil (olive, coconut, whatever you have) before washing can make a huge difference.
- Keep aloe vera handy. It’s not just for sunburns, it’s a pepper-burn hero too.
- Don’t touch your face. Seriously. Just don’t.
- Freeze peppers whole. If you don’t want to deal with the burn at all, just freeze them straight from the garden and chop later in smaller batches.
A Spicy Love Affair
Despite my blistered pride (and burning hands), I’m not giving up on hot peppers. They’re too delicious, too vibrant, and too much fun to grow. Plus, having a freezer full of fiery flavour means my fall and winter recipes will never be bland.
But next time? I’m suiting up with gloves. And maybe goggles. Possibly a full face mask.
Because life’s too short to fear the humble chili pepper… but also too long to spend 36 hours wishing you hadn’t underestimated it. 🌶️
Wear goggles, folks.
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