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  It is that time of year again.  The chili harvest is happening and now is the time to get your chilies for the year.  Living near the New Mexico border, we have access to great chilies right now and I will be going to buy my bushel of them in two weeks.  Hatch is famous for their chilies but many other farms in the state also have a great growing environment.  The chilies that I am talking about may be known to you as Anaheim chilies.  Each fall they are harvested and put into boxes that measure just over a bushel and roasted at local grocery stores and festivals.  They are cheap too. About $20 worth will get enough to last you into next year. 

            You do not want to bring them home fresh unless you plan on roasting them yourselves.  Rather, you want to have them roasted where you buy them and then take them home to process them.  The key is to let the chilies rest in the bag for about 4 – 6 hours so the chilies will sweat making the skins easy to remove.  Next it is time to take them upstairs to process.  Here is how I separate them:

1. Whole chilies
2. Shredded chilies and pieces
3. Chilies that need additional time roasting

The whole chilies are the ones that are intact and the skin comes off easily.  These are laid out individually onto cookie sheets and placed in the freezer.  I freeze them individually so I can pull them out one at a time when needed for brats, burgers, and sandwiches.

The shredded and pieces of chilies all go into a bowl after I remove the skins and seeds.  I dice them up and put them pre-measured into plastic bags and then put them in the freezer.  I use these for soups, stews, dips, and many other applications where diced chilies are needed.

Finally, I take the chilies where the skins do not come off easily, put them on the grill for enough time needed to remove the skins, and then place the chilies in either of the two previous mentioned groups. 

Chilies have many many uses in the kitchen and if you have the means to get a hold of a half bushel or quarter bushel to get a feel for these wonderful fruits, I highly recommend it.  Chilies are addictive and are a great source of vitamin C.