Preparing green chile for freezing

              NEW MEXICO COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND MECHANIC 4RTS
AND AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION  •'
JUL 1'3
Press Bulletin 1012
PREPARING GREEN CHILE FOR FREEZING     ****>L' D 3
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Hot melted paraffin (parowax) has been found to be a simple, effective agent for
removing the peel from green chile when preparing it for freezing or canning. Moreover, chile peeled in this manner retains the clear green color of the fresh chile
and does not require the steaming or blanching which is necessary in the preparation
of good frozen vegetables.
This recommendation can be made as a result of investigations undertaken at the
Sew Mexico Agricultural Experiment Station after the establishment of- a freezer-locker
plant in Las Cruces about a year ago. While detailed instructions for preparing most
ffoods for freezing were at hand, no material on the preparation of green chile was
available.
First problem encountered during the experimental work was that of peeling the
chile. Roasting the pods in the oven or on top of the stove was time-consuming and
the peeled chile had lost most of its color, turning a dulled grayish green. Commercial canners frequently peel peppers by put-ting the pods into hot mineral oil and
then removing the peel and the oil with steam. When this method was tried under home
conditions it was found that hot mineral or cooking oil removed the peel quickly but
that it was difficult to get rid of all the oil which adhered to the chile. These
traces of oil in the frozen chile spoil its appearance and the oil may become rancid,
causing undesirable changes in flavor, if the frozen chile is stored for several
months.
After some experimentation it was found that hot melted paraffin (the type used
for sealing jams and jellies) removed the peel as effectively as hot oil. Then if
the pods were taken from the hot paraffin bath and put into cold water the paraffin
hardened Liimediately and adhered to the peel, which could be removed quickly and
easily. The paraffin could be saved and used over and over again.
In peeling chile by this method there are a few precautions that must be observed
as hot oil can inflict painful burns. First, the chile should be clean and dry. Dangerous spattering of the hot paraffin may result from drops of water clinging to the
peppers. Second, the pods should be pricked with a fork or sharp knife so that the
steam which is formed within the pod can escape. Otherwise the pods may explode and
cause spattering of the hot paraffin. The clean,'dry, and pricked pods are then put
into a frying basket and lowered into a kettle containing melted paraffin which has
been heated to 375-390 degrees F. The procedure is just like frying doughnuts or croquettes except that paraffin is used instead of cooking fat. The peppers blister and
turn white almost immediately and are then removed from the hot paraffin and put into
cold water. The paraffin hardens at once and is easily removed with the peel, leaving a clean whole pepper. The stems and seeds can be removed, and the chile is ready
to pack into the cartons.
Green chile prepared in this manner is a- clear bright green, and it retains its
color during the freezing process. Frozen green chile taken from the locker after a
storage period of nine months was as attractive in appearance and flavor as the
freshly frozen product. Simple chemical tests on the peeled chile showed that the
enzymes which are present in fresh fruits and vegetables and which cause undesirable
changes in appearance and flavor had been effectively destroyed by the hot paraffin
and it was unnecessary to carry out thd steaming process which is necessary in the
preparation of most vegetables for freezing.