Greetings!
Yet another one of our CSA members had an unexpected
encounter with a Hot Pepper so am emailing everyone to inform about this again,
and give y’all a head’s up since we’re getting a bag of mixed Sweet Peppers
this week.
Let me know if you encounter any rogue Hot Peppers as I’d
like to let our farmers know.
Any time you get a Pepper that’s not a Bell Pepper, it never
hurts to check to see…
- if it’s hot
- if it is, how hot is it?
How to tell? It’s really easy. Cut a sliver off of the
bottom end of the Pepper and lick the sliver.
In case it is hot, you might want to keep at the ready
before you check it out…
- Full fat Dairy - glass
of full fat Milk, a spoonful of full fat Yogurt or Sour Cream…if it’s low
fat it might not work at all or as well (it’s the fat and casein that
help) but if that’s all you have, it’s better than nothing
- Sugar or Honey –
capsaisin (the hot stuff) gets absorbed by the Honey or Sugar so use ½
tsp. Honey or Sugar, or a Sugar cube
- Starch – Bread, boiled
Rice, boiled/mashed Potatoes
- Citrus/Tomatoes – raw
Tomato, Tomato juice, Orange juice/slice, Lemon juice/slice, Pineapple,
juice/slice – the acid (capsaisin) is neutralized by the alkalinity of
these foods (which I thought were acidic 😊 )
All the above suggestions can be used in the kitchen and
added to a dish if you find something you’ve cooked is hotter than you would
prefer, AND can be used if you’re out eating as well (that’s why at Indian
restaurants they’ll have Raita or Yogurt on the menu to cool down any hot
dishes if one prefers to tone it down).
Once, you’re done finding out…WASH YOUR HANDS with soap (the
fat is what breaks up the capsaisin) so the capsaisin doesn’t get on/in
anything (eyes, etc.).
If by chance you’ve gotten the capsaisin (the hot stuff in
the Pepper) on a part of your body that now burns/stings, here’s how to deal
with that too…
If in your eyes, please read this…
The above eye doctor above recommends water, but Chili
Pepper people recommend milk (full fat cow’s milk is best but any milk is
better than none)…
And for Hot Pepper hands and other less sensitive body
parts…
If it was due to eating, once again milk seems to be the
best option but there are others (and full fat dairy is always better than not,
because it’s the fat that’s helping)…
Barring being allergic or having a food sensitivity, y’all
should be fine as there are people who consume large amounts of Hot Chili
Peppers on purpose in contests and challenges (not something I’d do but it’s a
thing people do)…
Keep in mind where the heat in Hot Peppers is located…
And finally…
keep in mind, Hot Peppers are one of the world’s healthiest
foods as they are good for weight loss, boosting natural immunity, cardiovascular
health, lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes, helping stop the spread of
prostate cancer, clearing congestion, fighting inflammation, preventing stomach
ulcers, and are a source of topical pain relief…
So if you’d like to eat hot foods but at the moment it
doesn’t seem possible…it is! Food preferences aren’t written in stone, and can
be changed. Here’s how…
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