The Heat Is On

So. There are many rules to follow when dealing with habanero chilis.

1- Use gloves
2- Never touch your eyes while dealing with them
3- Be sure to wipe down anything habaneros touch before touching them with your bare hands.
4- Habaneros are hot little suckers and should not be used unless you can really stand the heat.

Let's just say I didn't exactly stick to this list. Can you guess which was the only rule I followed?

I picked up a basket of habanero chilis from the local farmers market. I thought I would stuff them with some Italian sausage and cream cheese (the cheese helping cut the heat). When I went to make the dish last night I was multi-tasking. Stuffed Peppers was one of four dishes that consisted of my Sunday night cooking extravaganza. Dinner was made and eaten while I worked on the other three recipes I had planned. While the green beans were stewing, the yams were being processed, I started to cut and gut the habaneros for stuffing. Did I mention I was also watching episodes of Hero's that we had recorded?

I didn't use the gloves (Breaking rule #1). I used one of those plastic veggie bags from the supermarket to hold the chili's while I worked on them. But between the TV and the other stuff cooking on the stove I forgot several times what I was doing and I picked up fresh live  habanero guts with my fingers.  I then proceeded to use these fingers to do many other things in the kitchen (thus breaking rule #3) spreading habanero oil all over the counters, the utensils, the dishes. At some point, I realized that my fingers were burning. Along with my lips because somehow I had transfered the habanero oil onto the spoon that I was taste testing the green beans from. Which got on the plate that I gave to Mr. L to taste test the beans. I knew I was in trouble when Mr. L suggested that I shouldn't put jalapenos into the beans next time. Needless to say there were no peppers in the beans.

Gotta love the iPhone where a quick search online revealed how to deal with the heat of the habanero oil. Also gotta love Mr. L who went downstairs, got some gloves and proceeded to disinfect the entire kitchen...while I sat on the couch in the living room chastised by being beaten by a few small peppers. One lucky part about all this was that I never touched my eyes during this fiasco. Though trying to get my contacts off while wearing gloves (just in case) at the end of the night was pretty comical. (Note to self, next time you work with hot peppers, even if you do wear gloves, take the contacts out first).

In case you are wondering I threw the batch of habaneros away before I even stuffed them. I'll go to the store tonight and get some jalapenos and stuff those instead. For this heat loving girl, I was horrified to find that I was bested by these little suckers. Trust me, I will be more careful next time. And yes, there will be a next time, I know where the big box of gloves lives in the garage now.

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Comments

[Mom]

You silly thing. You should have known better but as in life we all make mistakes. Better luck next time. Save me one stuffed jalapeno when you do make them. LOL Mom

[Mrs. L]

Mom - I know. I felt so stupid afterwards because I KNOW better. I was just so busy cooking up a storm I wasn't thinking! I'll definitely save you a stuffed jalapeño or two.

[barbie2be]

yikes! glad you are ok. i did something similar the other night. roommate K was making salsa and he dropped a piece of chile on the floor. i bent down and picked it up to toss in the trash and then rubbed my eye. OUCH!!!

[Jan Walinck]

Oh dear! Good thing you didn't touch your eyes.

[Louise]

Ooo, what a hot head you are! Stuffed habaneros?! Whooooo-eeeee! While I do love the burn of this little hottie, I do get nervous when my husband invariably tells me that while the pot of chile on the stove was fine after the first habenero, he tossed in a second (or third) just cuz. You are one tough woman, Mrs L!

[noble pig]

Oh you are so lucky! If you have even come close to your eyes...ummm...things would have went black.

[Mrs. L]

Barbie - I feel for you. My fingers still burn a bit when I get them near heat or rub them.

Jan - I'm still afraid to get my hands anywhere near my eyes.

Louise - I do like it hot, but I think I'll leave the stuffed habaneros to the experts.

Noble - I'm going to try the pepper recipe with jalapenos tomorrow. Wish me luck.

[Shannon]

Ooo! I feel your pain! Last year for a football game I made about 30 stuffed jalapenos and all the while cutting them and gutting them, with no gloves. I didn't give it a second thought, until that night while working my fingertips were sizziling, it was the weirdest feeling I have ever had! And it hurt! To soothe my hands so that I could actually type I had to wear some of those winter one-size-fits-all gloves. I learned my lesson well! I can't imagine with a hotter pepper! Ouch!

[grace]

i've often underestimated the power of certain peppers. and yes, i've paid the price. :) i'm glad you survived. :)

[Mr. L]

One word for salvation, Milk.

[Carolyn Jung]

You are one brave woman to be eating all those habaneros. I'm a wimp when it comes to heat, so I mostly stick with the staid jalapeno.