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Category: local produce
New Mexico Piñon Nuts
Few things are as special in the cold New Mexican months as local Piñon Nuts. They rank among red chile and pork tamales and posole as some of the things that New Mexicans yearn for when the weather get colder. The pinon tree is a beloved wood in New Mexico, and the stereotypical fire in the New Mexican winter is made with pinon. The reason why is simple: Pinon trees are the hardest of the pine trees. That hardness means that they also carry lots of nutrients up the the cones in their dense wood. Most fruit trees are hardwoods, and the best of the pine nuts also come from the hardest of the pine woods!
Where is Pinon found?
Pinon comes from pinon forests, of which New Mexico has a particularly high number of. A simple search of a forestry map shows that piñon forests cover large swaths of the state. In case you ask someone where their picking spot is, be prepared for some vague answers however. Collecting pinon nuts is a way of life for many people, particularly natives from the many pueblos around the Land of Enchantment. Because of this, many people are very cagy about giving up their source. It is actually a source of many memes, as some people are a bit tone deaf and just don’t understand that they are asking for trade secrets.
When is piñon ready?
New crop piñon nuts are typically available around the end of September, once the nights start cooling off and the cones open up. When they are ready, people all around New Mexico go and gather them, with some people braking them by hand and others using tools like vacuum cleaners or kitchen gadgets to aid in opening the cones and extracting the delicious nuts inside.
Where to buy piñon
All around New Mexico, some people will park their cars at busy intersections with large piñon signs. Although many of these people are honest sellers selling fair amounts at fair prices, there are plenty of fly by night shops selling small amounts and saying they are larger than they actually are. In case you are looking for a shop which sells guaranteed measurements of piñon nuts, stop by our store at 2010 Eubank Blvd NE Albuquerque, New Mexico 87112. We are open every year from the start of August to Christmas, and carry all kinds of New Mexican goodies such as roasted Hatch chile, ristras, chicos, beans, and much more!
These are flpur bags, but they are filled with piñon nuts! Buying New Mexico Piñon Nuts Online
For those of you looking to buy pinon nuts, we have them available on our webshop, but you can also order here:
New Mexico Piñon Nuts
$23.99 – $189.00These are 2024 new crop New Mexico piñon nuts! They come from various pinon forested lands around New Mexico. The New Mexican high desert is famous for the pinon tree, which also produces the best quality of pine firewood too! The smell of piñon fires is so characteristic of winter in New Mexico, along with […]
What we Sell at Farmers Chile Market
At Farmers Chile Market, we have a wide variety of different New Mexican products, but much of it is different at different times. There are deeper explanations of this in our post about the chile season. We are open from the first Friday of August every year until Christmas. In 2024, we will be open from Friday August 2nd! In early August, we typically have the least amount of products available, as it is quite early in the chile season. We typically have a few varieties of fresh green chile available for roasting, and also have those varieties already roasted in the freezer for people who want a smaller amount. We also often have a decent amount of dried red chile pods for sale at this time too. Other than that, we usually have chile pasado from the last year to cover the different chile flavors that people are looking for.
Dried chile
Some of our most important products are dried chile, whether they are Hatch red chile pods, Mexican chile, chile pasado, red chie powder, green chile powder, dried superhots, dried aji charapita, or something else. The main reason why is that by drying chili peppers, they can keep a good flavor for a couple years, even without refrigeration. Sun dried red chile pods are especially important in New Mexico, as they are a core component in a red chile sauce. Although a ristra you get from us will be edible, it is a better value to buy a full sack of dried chile pods, as the amount of chile is much more. Ristras are beautiful, but they take a lot of time to make, so the price is higher.
New Mexico Red Chile Pods
We normally carry New Mexico red chile pods in medium, hot, and extra hot varieties, and also try to carry the XXX-hot Lumbre chile variety when we can get it. Usually we don’t run out of these varieties of red chile pods, but occasionally shortages happen, like what happened in 2023, when most of the state of New Mexico ran out. In case we sell out of a specific variety of red chile pods, we typically have at least two trucks per week from Hatch that we can get more from. If the chile season is normal, the new crop of Hatch red chile pods comes out around late October or early November.
These sacks of red chile pods are enough for a ton of red chile sauce! Chile Ristras
These dried strings of red chile make great southwestern accent pieces for an entryway, a doorway, a kitchen, or patio! More than just that, all the ristras we sell are edible red chile! We don’t treat ristras in order to keep them as a double use item! The red chile pods that ristras are made with are quite delicious, and whip up into a great red chile sauce!
New Mexico Red Chile Powder
We carry many different varieties of red chile powder, including mild, medium, hot, extra hot, and XXX-hot varieties. In addition to this, we also try to carry ghost pepper powder, as some people are really looking for the hottest stuff they can get. Our New Mexico chile powder is made from sun dried red chile pods grown and processed right in the sunny Hatch valley of southern New Mexico. Red chile powder has a ton of different ways to cook with it, such as using it as a simple spice or making a whole chile sauce with it! We have a page dedicated just to that, so you can get more ideas about how to use red chile powder!
This spoonful of red chile powder took this Mapo Tofu dish up a notch! Hatch Green Chile Powder
We also carry New Mexico green chile powder, ranging from mild to extra-hot as well. Green chile powder is typically machine dried, as the color of sun dried green chile isn’t really appealing. Because of the machine drying process, it tends to be a little sweeter than sun dried red chile, as the sugars in the chile haven’t had the time to ferment. That being said, it still makes a great flavor base, and can add a nice chile flavor to whatever dish you want!
Chile Pasado
We roast green chile every day during the chile season! This chile needs to be preserved, and although the most common modern way is freezing, chile pasado is in some ways the best way to preserve roasted green chile. Chile pasado is roasted, peeled, and dried green chile. As the shelf life of chile pasado is years instead of days like fresh green chile, we typically have chile pasado flavors available sooner than fresh green chile. This goes especially for the chile varieties which take longer to mature enough for roasting, like extra hot and Lumbre varieties. In case you are buying chile in the very early season and can’t wait for the really spicy stuff to come out, consider getting some chile pasado to hold you over! The flavor is amazing, and it doesn’t need to be frozen!
Mexican chile
We try to carry a decent amount of dried Mexican chile as well in order to have a wide variety of chile products! The varieties we usually stock are guajillo, ancho, chile de arbol, chipotle morita, and more. Mexico has a very wide range of different types of chili peppers available, and we try to get whatever we can. I take at least two trips to El Paso every year to pick up dried chile products from Mexico. We are at our core, a chile market. I want to sell more types of chili peppers than anyone in Albuquerque!
Superhot and Exotic chili Peppers
Although we also stock plenty of fresh superhots and exotic chili peppers, we also have a large selection of dried chili pods as well! The season for these kinds of chili peppers are shorter than the Hatch chile season, so we try to stock up a lot to dry when they are available! We typically dry a lot of Carolina Reapers, Ghost Peppers, and Aji Charapita primarily. In addition to dried pods, we try to carry at least one variety of superhot chili powder like ghost pepper powder. The superhot chili peppers are fantastic for making fiery sauces, as just one pod will turn a whole pot into something that will make you breathe fire! Aji charapita on the other hand is not terribly spicy, with a heat level not too different from chile pequin. It has a nice fruity flavor profile, and makes a really nice brightening addition to many things. Personally, I love using aji charapita in a chimichurri sauce!
Fresh Chile
Green Chile
In terms of fresh chile, we try to carry five different New Mexico green chile varieties whenever they are available. These are Mild, Medium, Hot, Extra-Hot, and XXX-Hot. We start every chile season with exclusively chile from Hatch, New Mexico, but also sell chile from other popular growing regions of New Mexico as the season progresses. Regardless of where our chile comes from in New Mexico, you can be sure that we do our due diligence to find the best chile at the best price every year. In the early season, usually less varieties are available, and the late season is the same. If you come in September, we almost always have all heat levels of green chile available daily.
We roast green chile every day of the chile season! Red Chile
Around the start of September, we also carry fresh red chile out of Hatch, New Mexico. Whether you would like us to roast it for you, or if you are planning to tie a chile ristra, we should have fresh Hatch red chile available, but it frequently sells out quickly! We get fresh chile shipments 4 times a week throughout the season, so if we run out, more will be coming soon!
Superhot and Exotic chili Peppers
During the season, we also carry superhot peppers like Carolina reapers and ghost peppers in our refrigerators ready to slice up and mix with some other ingredients to make some fiery sauces! Fresh exotic peppers like Aji varieties are quite fruity, and taste better fresh than dried in my opinion. With superhots, the spice is so potent, that fresh or dried both feel quite similar. The flavor is less pronounced than other chili peppers, but the spice comes through in force!
these fresh superhots pack a punch! Other Local Produce
Although we get a small amount of products from out of state like Colorado peaches, over 95% of what we sell is locally grown in New Mexico. We get new crop pinto beans and pumpkins from Ness Farms in Estancia, watermelons and onions from several farms down in the Hatch valley, cantaloupes, honeydews, and tomatoes from San Antonio, NM in the Socorro Valley, apples from Velarde, NM, chicos from Espanola, and more. Like my dad did decades ago, I drive all around looking for different local farms to get high quality produce from New Mexican farms.
Keeping it local keeps our New Mexican community strong! What we sell online
Below is a list of all the different products we sell online. Because of various reasons, we sell less products online than in our store, but we try to have a wide variety of chile products and New Mexican goodness online too!
About New Mexico Chile
What is New Mexico Chile?
New Mexico chile refers to the various types of chile peppers grown in New Mexico, primarily around the Rio Grande valley, with the Hatch Valley being the largest individual growing region. Although many farmers also grow varieties of chile such as jalapenos, typically we refer to Numex varieties as New Mexico chile. Numex varieties are developed at the Chile Pepper Institute, a part of New Mexico State University in Las Cruces. In addition to developing new varieties of chile peppers alongside local farmers, they also host a teaching garden, where you can go to learn about how to grow chile. In case you are buying green chile for the first time in a store, check out this guide to choosing good chile!
Is it Hatch chile or New Mexico chile?
The answer to this question primarily depends on who you ask. Hatch is known as the chile capital of the world for a reason. Although it is a small town of only about 1,000 people, it is almost entirely dedicated to chile production and sales. The town really comes alive during the chile season, then slips into a quiet slumber once the harvest season is done. Hatch chile is certainly more easy to say than New Mexico chile, but there are many great chile growing regions around New Mexico. For this region, we primarily use the term New Mexico chile, as Hatch chile is quite specific, and not always the best chile available in New Mexico, depending on what stage of the chile season it is.
How to use New Mexico chile?
In New Mexico, we use our chile for almost every meal, from breakfast to a midnight snack. People buy different heat levels of chile based on their spice preference, then roast them and stick them in freezer bags to use throughout the rest of the year. Another popular way of storing roasted chile is to dry it, whether by the sun or using a dehydrator. Chile pasado is what this type of chile is called, and it is a great addition to green chile sauces and stews. Many people like making green chile sauce, but simply chopping roasted chile and using it as a topping works great too! With dried red chile pods, it is typically destemmed and deseeded, then boiled and blended. This red sauce is a favorite for making enchiladas.
What makes New Mexican chile special?
The growing regions are wonderfully suited to grow chile peppers, but what makes our chiles in New Mexico so unique is the flavor and size. They have a nice herbal earthy flavor, that really comes together when roasted. Chile varieties in New Mexico are also typically bigger than anywhere else in the world, with Big Jim, a medium heat variety, holding the record for largest chili pepper in the world. Because of the size and lack of insane heat, it is perfect for chile focused dishes, such as chile rellenos. In the world, many cuisines enjoy their spice, but nowhere uses chile as much as New Mexico. The question, “red or green?” is our state question for a reason, as it will be asked at nearly every New Mexican restaurant every day. Although I don’t have data, I imaging the average New Mexican eats chile with 2 meals a day, and eating green or red New Mexico chile with every single meal is not unusual at all.
Chicos Food
Few foods outside of red and green chile will evoke such a comfortable and homey feeling as chicos and pinto beans. Pinto beans are a staple in New Mexican cuisine, with people getting very excited for new crop beans in late September. Chicos are another thing that New Mexicans go wild for, and are typically ready a few weeks after the corn harvest. When you pair beans and chicos together, magic happens, and it tastes far better than beans with ham hocks or any other addition, though extras like that can also be included in a bowl of chicos & beans and taste wonderful. Beyond just beans, chicos are a great ingredient to add into many dishes, particularly soups.
What are chicos?
Chicos are a wonderfully delicious New Mexican food item. They are essentially a slow roasted and dried corn. Chicos del horno as they are called refer to the method of cooking and drying. Horno means oven in Spanish, but in New Mexico, it often refers to a traditional adobe oven that you will see a lot of in Native American reservations and small farming communities in New Mexico. Adobe is a large part of our architecture in New Mexico, even down to our ovens. While cooking in the oven, it will get a very nice savory and smoky flavor profile. Adding chicos to any soup will kick the flavor up a notch, but chicos are quite hard and need to be cooked for a while to become tender. They also don’t puff up while cooking like posole does.
These hornos are made by many families in Northern New Mexico How are Chicos Made?
They are packed into hornos like the one above and roasted with the husk on, typically overnight. After that, they are removed and tied up to hand and sun dry, similar to chile ristras. After they have dried completely, they are shucked from the corn and bagged up to be used in cooking throughout the year.
How to use chicos in cooking?
Chicos are amazing for just about any strongly flavored soup. They are quite flavorful, and might overpower a more simple soup base. Be sure to soak chicos overnight, as they are VERY dense, and need time to absorb water and soften up. Chicos should be cooked for about 4 hours to achieve an ideal texture, though they are acceptable after boiling for two hours, if they were properly soaked before. Because they take much longer than most dried foods, I recommend to start boiling chicos when you begin preparing other ingredients in your soup. That way, the dense dried corn can get the extra cooking time it needs, while not slowing down your cooking process too much. The most common way we use chicos in New Mexico is cooking them with pinto beans. The flavors synergize incredibly well together, and and the sum is certainly greater than its parts.
New Mexican food
New Mexican cuisine is unique related to other cuisines like Tex-Mex and Mexican food, primarily because of the unique ingredients we possess. Although Mexico has many different chiles available, none of them really compare to our New Mexican chile. First of all, our chile is much bigger an meatier. Another thing is that we roast chile in a very different way. In Mexico, many restaurants might offer a flattop grill roasted jalapeno or serrano pepper with your meal. In New Mexico, although plenty of Mexican food trucks sell food this way, we also have a large chile roasting industry, using mostly fresh green chile from Hatch or other growing regions in the Rio Grande valleys of New Mexico.
Beyond just chile, we also have a big corn tradition similar to Mexico. Although flour tortillas are more commonly used here than our Southern neighbors, we also have a great fondness for corn in every way. Enchiladas, whether red or green, need corn tortillas because they keep a nice texture even when smothered by a chile sauce!
Corn in New Mexican food
A bowl of posole is just one of many ways that New Mexicans enjoy corn! In various central and northern regions in New Mexico, there are a good amount of corn farms, growing yellow, white, blue, and multicolored corn. We also have plenty of different local cornmeal, masa, and nixtamalized corn, posole. With all these different varieties of corn commonly used in our food, it should be no surprise that we also have our own specialty corn products like chicos as well. Few products express the depth of corn flavor as strongly as chicos however. The process to make them imparts a smoky flavor, but the sugars in the corn also reduce into savory flavors as well. It gives a really unique but very strong corn flavor.
Where to get chicos and beans in Albuquerque
During the chile season, we will have New Mexican chicos and pinto beans available at 2010 Eubank Blvd NE in Albuquerque. We will also have them on our online shop, which should be up and running by September 2022. Unlike prior years, it seems like chicos will be more readily available in New Mexico beginning this year. Pinto beans are never in short supply, and we work with the best bean farmer in the state, Ness Farms. Unfortunately, other New Mexican delights such as piñon will continue to be sparse, as the last few years have had very few cones dropping.
Other New Mexican specialties
New Mexico has many great things besides chicos, and they mix well together too! Chile ristras are a decoration that is as New Mexican as it gets. New Mexicans are proud of all things chile, and ristras a both a great decoration and a fantastic way of storing red chile for when you need it in a red chile sauce. Few things make the state come alive more than the chile season! Other than that, piñon is something we go wild for at the end of the year, when it is cold enough for developed cones to start dropping. We are very proud of chile rellenos, the stuffed and fried chile peppers, most commonly using Big Jim chile. Red chile pork tamales are another corn and chile based New Mexican dish that we are quite proud of. The red chile and pork base is also quite common for things like carne adovada and posole soup.
A chile relleno like this is something you could only find in New Mexico! Both of these dishes, although Mexican in origin, are made quite uniquely in New Mexico, even compared to Chihuahua and Sonora, the Mexican states we share borders with. These, along with many other New Mexican delicacies are due to New Mexico’s long legacy as a melting pot of many different peoples. We have a lot of tradition in our food which we are proud of. Although New Mexico isn’t the most well known state, and other Americans sometimes compliment my English, our food stands up to anywhere in terms of flavor and quality. Whether it is chicos, pinto beans, posole, red chile enchiladas, a green chile cheeseburger, or something else, we have flavor in spades. See for yourself when you visit New Mexico if you don’t believe me. We are a great destination for a fall vacation!
Buying Chicos online
In case you are from out of state and would like to try chicos in addition to other great New Mexican ingredients, you can buy them on our webshop!
Chicos
$13.99 – $24.99These chicos are made in the Northern New Mexico town of Espanola, with locally grown corn by farming families who have been doing it for generation. Chicos are very scarce, and we will often be sold out. These chicos are new crop 2024 season corn.. Chicos are a great thing to use in New Mexican […]
Albuquerque Chile
If you think about chile in Albuquerque, probably two names come up, Farmers Market and Fruit Basket. A large reason for that is that we both have a lot of history in Albuquerque.
When we first started roasting chile in Albuquerque in 1977, chile was already a large part of the cuisine, but roasting chile was definitely inconvenient. It would take people all day to roast and peel their sack of chile. Once people saw the convenience of our chile roasting, it became hugely popular almost immediately. Even though our Osuna store had a large parking lot, people would still park down the street and walk a long way to get the first fresh roasted green chile in Albuquerque. The first few years we were so busy that it was hard to keep up.
Chile in Albuquerque, then and now
Nowadays, things are a lot different. There are three main ways it differs, besides the obvious 45 year gap. For one, There are a lot more big businesses involved in chile. Competition is a lot more now, with tons of different new faces in the chile business here. The third difference is the varieties of chile. Read on to learn more about how chile has changed in Albuquerque.
Hatch chile = big business?
Green and red chile has become more and more about big business. Many companies sell boxed chile and processed chile products which look nice to grocery conglomerates, but generally aren’t as flavorful. That kind of chile is what happens when you use corporate techniques to apply math to farming. It certainly produces more yield and more profit, but you can’t put a number on flavor. In Albuquerque and all around New Mexico, grocery stores like Walmart and Smiths sell chile incredibly cheaply. If you want the cheapest chile you can find, I recommend you go to a large grocery store. You get what you pay for however, and every year we have hundreds of people come to us after being disappointed by the flavor of cheap chile at big stores.
New chile roasters
A nice Autumn roast When we were the only roasters in town, we had a captive audience. Nowadays, there are a lot of different chile roasters in Albuquerque like Sichler Farms, Chile Addict, and Rosales Produce. This is great for the average person in Albuquerque, because there are a lot of chile roasters in convenient areas. More than that, there are plenty of people that sell chile on the side of the road. With all places, there are pros and cons. I will say that shopping around is a good idea. A lot of places aimed at tourists charge way too much for their chile products. Farmers Market’s slogan has been “Where a fast nickel beats a slow dime” since 1963, and we operate under the same idea. We will always be one of the most affordable chile roasters who sell good chile, because we would much rather make less money and get loyal customers who come back to us every chile season. As a business running for nearly 60 years, we know that keeping customers happy and giving them good value is the key to long term success.
Varieties of chile
Many different varieties of New Mexico chile Finally, chile has a lot more varieties now. New Mexicans love chile, so any chile product you can find in Hatch can probably also be found in Albuquerque. When we started roasting in 1977, Big Jim had only been released for two years. Although Big Jim is now arguably the most famous New Mexico chile, back then no one even knew about it. Nowadays, there are many new varieties like lumbre and miss Junie that come on the market every year. More and more, growers and researchers are able to get more and more heat in bigger and bigger chiles. A pepper the size of Lumbre would never come close to being that spicy in the past. This is done through cross pollination entirely, as chile plants are not possible to genetically modify. More variety of chile means there are a lot more flavors available in Albuquerque’s favorite food.
Chile things to do in Albuquerque
Start by visiting Farmers Chile Market at 2010 Eubank Blvd NE. We are the original chile roaster in Albuquerque, and generally do a very good job with chile, satisfaction guaranteed. After that, drive south on Eubank, past I-40 and turn right on Central to see Route 66. This road will take you through Nob Hill and downtown, two interesting Albuquerque areas with plenty of local art, restaurants, bars, and things to do. Once you are done exploring downtown, Fruit Basket on 4th street is a good place to see. Their philosophy is similar to ours in terms of pricing, so you can be sure to get a good value there along with a good selection of produce. Not far from there is Big Jim Farms, a place where you can pick your own chile. I’ll warn you, picking chile is backbreaking labor, make sure to drink plenty of water.
Other things to do in Albuquerque
Although there are plenty more places to visit for chile in Albuquerque, by now you probably have more than enough chile products. Other interesting things are the zoo and botanic garden and Old Town, which are both in the same area. If you take a walk through old town, you will see lots of local stores selling expensive things to tourists. There is a nice plaza with the church San Felipe de Neri, built in 1793 after the original church’s collapse. In this area, there are tons of nice restaurants, so if you see a place that strikes your fancy, it will probably be very nice. If you are traveling with kids, I highly recommend checking out Explora. In December, the River of Lights is cool, but traffic in the area is abysmal. Finally, if you are visiting in October, the Balloon Fiesta is a must see event.
Other things to do in New Mexico
New Mexico is one of the biggest states in the US. There are a lot of places you can see, but be prepared to drive a while for it.
Things to do in Santa Fe
Only one hour from Albuquerque by way of I-25, Santa Fe is a great place to wander around for the day. If you find parking near the Cathedral of St Francis, just leave your car there and wander around. This area of Santa Fe feels somewhat similar to Albuquerque Old Town, but much larger. Many restaurants here are fantastic also, and I highly recommend eating lightly at a few different places while wandering down to the Santa Fe Railyard. This is one of the best things you can do on a date in New Mexico. If you are into art and audiovisual experiences, MeowWolf is a very interesting spot that is also great for kids. Finally, in September, Zozobra is a very unique event though crowds can be somewhat intense.
Things to do in Hatch
The Hatch Chile Festival is a great event for people who really like New Mexico chile. Sometimes people might be disappointed by the lack of variety in terms of superhots, but superhots are not terribly popular in New Mexico. We love spice, but we eat chile for the flavor and texture, not only the heat. You can’t make a meal out of a carolina reaper, but you sure can with green chile. It takes about 3 hours to drive to Hatch from Albuquerque, so consider booking a hotel in Las Cruces.
Outside of the festival, Hatch is a pretty small town. I recommend driving south from I-25 and stopping at any places that look interesting to you. You will find tons of places selling chile ristras, green and red chile, along with souvenirs for your visit. Check out Sparky’s for a green chile cheeseburger if they are open. Honestly, their prices are not cheap, and you probably will have to wait in line, but the burger is good. From there, go west on Hall street, and you can see a few markets, the Hatch Museum, Chile Fanatic, and Grajeda Farms. After you pass Grajeda farms, there isn’t too much. Hatch is a very small town that gets much bigger during the chile festival.
Things to do in Las Cruces
As we are a chile market in Albuquerque, we might have some sibling rivalry with our little brother, Las Cruces. That being said, the Las Cruces Chile Drop is arguably the most new Mexican way to spend New Years. It is held is the Plaza De Las Cruces, which also tends to have a nice Christmas market. New Mexico State University is the organization responsible for most of our delicious New Mexican chile. Be sure to pay the Chile Pepper Institute a visit to learn about all things chile. They have plenty of information about growing, lots of seeds, and plenty of sauces, books, and miscellaneous souvenirs. Mesilla Plaza is a nice spot, and the restaurant La Posta de Mesilla is a great restaurant which has been in business since 1939.
If you take Picacho Ave west, you will pass by the “World’s Largest Chile Pepper” at the Big Chile Inn. If you keep going, you will arrive at Picacho Peak Brewing, which is a cool hacienda with nice craft beer and a popular brunch.
And I thought Big Jim was a big chile Things to do in other areas
Chile farms are beautiful aren’t they? Alamogordo
If you are passing through Alamogordo, the Museum of Space History is interesting, along with Pistachio Tree Ranch, which is a great spot for snacks and pictures. Nearby there, White Sands is also a really cool spot that makes you feel like you are in a different continent. Alamogordo is about three and a half hours from Albuquerque, but it easy to visit if you are in Hatch or Las Cruces.
Truth or Consequences
Truth or Consequences is an artsy town with hot springs. It is a great spot to go and wander around the downtown area, drink a couple beers at T or C Brewing, then mosey on down for a soak in the hot springs. Nearby there, you can also check out Elephant Butte, the main water recreation area of New Mexico. It isn’t as big as other lakes in the US, but we take what we can get in the desert. Truth or Consequences is about two and a half hours from Albuquerque, and is a great place to stop and take a detour if you are driving from Albuquerque to Hatch or vice versa.
Silver City
Silver City is another town where one should wander around the downtown, and explore a lot. It was a town built by prospectors looking for silver in the 1870s. Due to the large population of Americans who arrived there around then, it has a lot of interesting American architecture from that time, giving it a somewhat unique look compared to most other cities in New Mexico. After all, New Mexico only became a state in 1912. Most of our old buildings were built by the Spanish, not the US. Tranquilbuzz Coffee is a great spot to get a cup of liquid energy, and Little Toad Creek Brewery serves up delicious beers and is a great spot for dinner too. Silver city is about four and a half hours from Albuquerque, but it is much easier to get to from Truth or Consequences or Hatch.
In all of these places, you can be sure to find plenty of green and red chile. Some areas, such as Chimayo have their own specialty chile as well.
Explore New Mexico
There are many many other great places to go in New Mexico. In fact, it is somewhat daunting to think about. I started writing expecting to write mainly about Albuquerque, but there are too many good places to visit here. Check out our travel section for more ideas. If you come, make sure to spend some time here, or you will miss a lot of great stuff.
Local Estancia Pinto Beans
When it comes to local beans, we have tried many different farms since we started in 1962. There are bean growing regions in many areas of New Mexico, but our go to place in the last 20 years has been Ness Farms. They take pride in having only the best quality beans available. Every year, when they new crop of beans comes in, they buy back old product in order to ensure the beans for sale in retail locations like ours are at most only one year old. The beans you might get at a typical grocery store will often be much older, sitting around in giant warehouses around the country for months or years, waiting for whatever giant company needs more supply.
This level of quality control is a big reason why we trust Ness Farms so much. Taking pride in one’s product is somewhat of a lost art it seems, with many corporations chasing fancy branding and efficiency over quality. Quality produce has always been our focus over our decades in business. We have always aimed to provide good quality at affordable prices for local New Mexicans like us. More than just that, we aim to support local farms and small businesses as much as we can.
Beans are an integral part of both Mexican and New Mexican cuisines, used as a side dish at almost every meal. With that importance, you better believe that we prioritize quality in this product. We aim to provide the most important ingredients of New Mexican food. Chile and beans is quite literally our bread and butter, the staple food and the flavor.
Where to get the best beans in New Mexico
During the chile season, we have Ness Farms beans at 2010 Eubank NE 87112 in Albuquerque. We are open every year from August to the end of October, and also get our pumpkins from the same farm. In addition to beans and pumpkins, we also have many Hatch red chile ristras, and a large variety of green and red chile products, not to mention lots of local produce as well.
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Kokopellli Bean Soup Mix – 1 lb$6.99 -
1lb 6 oz Estancia, NM Pinto Beans$6.99
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Bolita Beans$9.99
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Anasazi Beans$7.00 – $27.00
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25 Lb Estancia, NM Pinto Beans$58.00
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What is Posole
Posole, a nixtamalized corn dish, has been a staple food in Mesoamerica for centuries, evolving into diverse and delicious regional variations across Mexico. Beyond the rich history of the dish itself, each variation carries further regional influences, local flavors, and cultural connections.
If you are in New Mexico or old Mexico, you will no doubt see posole on many menus, especially if the weather is cold. Also spelled pozole, the name doubles as an ingredient and a soup. The ingredient itself is a nixtamalized corn, similar to hominy. As we aren’t a restaurant, we focus mainly on the dried form of posole. It is a fantastic ingredient in soups, but can also be used in salads, or ground up to make corn tortillas. It is a truly versatile ingredient, which is healthy and filling.
Other corn products in NM
Corn products have long been a very important part of New Mexican cuisine, and posole or hominy is just one aspect of corn in New Mexican food. Chicos del horno is another very popular corn ingredient we use They kick up the flavor in a bowl of beans to another level! Keep in mind that chicos take much longer to cook than dried pozole, so start cooking chicos at least an hour before you add the posole kernels in!
Posole the soup
The soup has many different varieties in Mexico, with soup colors ranging from green, to red, to even black, often incorporating chicken or pork. In New Mexico, the typical soup is made with red chile and pork, often accompanied by a tortilla. This hearty soup is full of nutrition, as the process to turn corn into posole unlocks a lot of vitamins and minerals from corn that we are unable to digest normally. More than just being healthy, the soup warms one’s bones on cold winter days. If you ever travel to the balloon fiesta in the morning, be sure to try some posole and see how warm it keeps you.
Types of Pozole popular in Mexico
1. Red Posole (Pozole Rojo)
Vibrant and flavorful, red posole gets its bold color and spice from red chiles. Popular in the state of Guerrero and in New Mexico, the sauce is made with chiles like guajillo or ancho (or New Mexico’s hot Sandia or extra hot Barker chiles). This base simmers with cooked hominy, tender pork, and a blend of spices. Garnishes like fresh shredded lettuce, radishes, avocado, and lime add vibrancy to the hearty stew. Red chile pork posole is beloved in New Mexico, where it’s a common Christmas dish and a way to warm up during winter.
2. White Posole (Pozole Blanco)
A lighter take on posole, pozole blanco hails from Jalisco and Nayarit. The clear, flavorful broth features herbs like oregano and bay leaves. Hominy corn and meat (usually chicken or pork) are cooked until tender within. White posole is often served with toppings like diced onions, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges, allowing diners to customize the flavors.
3. Green Posole (Pozole Verde)
This variety is instantly recognizable by its vibrant green sauce, typically found in Guerrero and Michoacán states. The sauce is made by blending green chiles, tomatillos, cilantro, and garlic, leading to a fresh, tangy flavor. Tender meat, usually chicken or pork, and hominy corn round out this colorful variety. Garnishes like sliced radishes, avocado, and a squeeze of lime add extra brightness. Increasingly popular in New Mexico, green posole is sometimes made by blending green chile sauces with a traditional white posole base for a unique regional take.
4. Seafood Posole (Pozole de Mariscos)
Seafood lovers delight in this variation popular in coastal regions like Baja California and Sinaloa. Pozole de mariscos features a medley of fresh seafood like shrimp, fish, and clams. A combination of rich fish stock and tomato sauce creates a savory broth base, perfectly complementing the delicate seafood flavors. Garnishes like chopped cilantro, diced onions, and a squeeze of lime bring additional vibrancy.
5. Vegetarian Posole (Pozole Vegetariano)
This meatless option offers a delicious and satisfying twist on posole. Vegetarian posole is cooked in a vegetable broth seasoned with herbs and spices like cumin, paprika, and chili powder. Popular vegetables include carrots, bell peppers, zucchini, and onions. This hearty and nutritious dish might be finished with garnishes like avocado slices, chopped cilantro, and a sprinkle of queso fresco.
Posole in New Mexico
Red Chile Posole
New Mexico stands out with its ubiquitous red chile pork posole, by far the most popular regional variation within the state. For a vegetarian or vegan option, using a firm tofu, a few chunks of tempe, or a crumbly vegan meat substitute works really well in a bowl of pozole!
Green Chile Posole
Not to be outdone by its more mature rival, Red, green chile also works great in a posole. The trend towards green posole, sometimes prepared using a white base and blended with a green chile sauce, is increasing. Some regional restaurants even offer white posole with red and green sauces on the side, allowing for customization and a unique New Mexican experience. Naturally the same advice for vegetarian and vegan options works with green chile too!
A bowl of posole at the Santa Fe Plaza Cafe Health benefits of Pozole
Nixtamalization: Unlocking Nutritional Power
Nixtamalization is an ancient process of treating corn with an alkaline solution, traditionally made from wood ash or lime. This process has been fundamental to Mesoamerican cuisine for centuries. Far beyond enhancing flavor and texture, nixtamalization significantly increases the nutritional value of corn, offering several key benefits:
- Increased Bioavailability of Nutrients: Nixtamalized corn has enhanced bioavailability of essential vitamins and minerals:
- Niacin (Vitamin B3): Untreated corn is deficient in niacin. Nixtamalization releases bound niacin, making it available for absorption. This prevents pellagra, a disease caused by niacin deficiency.
- Calcium: Soaking in lime increases calcium absorption from corn, contributing to bone health.
- Other Nutrients: Nixtamalization also enhances the availability of iron, zinc, and other key nutrients.
- Improved Protein Quality: While corn protein is incomplete on its own, nixtamalization improves its balance of essential amino acids. This makes it a more valuable source of protein, especially when combined with other plant-based staples like beans.
- Reduced Mycotoxins: Corn can be susceptible to contamination by mycotoxins, harmful compounds produced by fungi. Nixtamalization partially degrades mycotoxins like fumonisins and aflatoxins, reducing potential health risks.
- Enhanced Fiber Content: Nixtamalization boosts the resistant starch content in corn. This type of starch acts as a dietary fiber, contributing to gut health, blood sugar regulation, and cholesterol management.
- Improved Digestion: The nixtamalization process softens the corn kernels and removes a portion of the outer hull. This makes nixtamalized corn easier to digest, benefiting individuals with sensitivities.
Health Implications
The nutritional improvements due to nixtamalization offer several potential health benefits:
- Stronger Bones: Increased calcium absorption contributes to bone health and may help reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
- Better Gut Health: Increased fiber intake aids digestion, promotes regularity, and fosters a healthy gut microbiome.
- Reduced Risk of Chronic Diseases: The combined benefits of improved nutrient balance, fiber content, and potential mycotoxin reduction may contribute to a lowered risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer.
Incorporating Nixtamalized Corn into Your Diet
The most common way to enjoy the benefits of nixtamalized corn is through tortillas made from masa harina (nixtamalized corn flour). Other ways to include it in your diet are:
- Hominy AKA Posole: Whole nixtamalized corn kernels used in dishes like pozole or hearty stews.
- Tamales: Delicious bundles of nixtamalized corn dough called masa, often filled with meat or vegetables.
- Snacks: Corn chips made from nixtamalized corn can be a healthier option.
Important Considerations
While nixtamalized corn offers significant health advantages over untreated corn, it’s still important to maintain a balanced diet. Relying solely on corn, even its nixtamalized form, will not provide all essential nutrients. Pair nixtamalized corn with a variety of fruits, vegetables, beans, and other whole foods for optimal health benefits. Remember that we at Farmers Chile Market sell plenty of healthy food products, but we are not medical professionals. Be sure to consult with a qualified doctor for medical advice.
Nixtamalization is a stunning example of how traditional food preparation techniques contribute to both deliciousness and nutritional value. Whether you spell it posole, pozole, or hominy, the process to make it results in something that is great in terms of flavor, texture, and healthiness.
Posole at Farmers Chile Market
At Farmers Chile Market, we do our best to provide local options, and New Mexican posole is one of them. Whether you like yellow corn, blue corn, or even mixed color varieties, we will almost always have locally sourced posole available. We are a company that has supported local farmers and small businesses since 1962. Since our change to being a seasonal business, we have increased our proportion of local products. Chile season is also when many other fruits and vegetables are in season in New Mexico. We always aim to get produce as fresh as possible. Buying local means we get it the day after harvest.
If you are buying posole, you should also remember to pick up a chile ristra, or dried red chile pods too. They go hand in hand, and with these ingredients and posole, you can cook a large amount of New Mexican recipes. In case you are looking for a recipe for red chile to make a bowl of posole with, be sure to check out our red chile sauce guide. On that note, I have written a whole section of our website dedicated to how to cook different New Mexican dishes, be sure to check out our recipes section!
Where to get posole in Albuquerque
During the chile season, Farmers Chile Market has several varieties of posole at 2010 Eubank Blvd NE 87112 in Albuquerque. When we say posole or pozole, please note we are talking about hominy, not the dish which shares the name. We are open every year from the first weekend of August until Christmas. We have many other local products from farms around New Mexico as well. Roasting green chile is still our core business, but we aren’t just a one trick pony. Come see for yourself why we are the best source for New Mexican food products in Albuquerque. Check our webshop to see why we are a great source for New Mexican ingredients shipped to your door too!
New Mexico should grow chile in public spaces
I have been traveling in Mexico for the past month in order to practice Spanish, in addition to learning more about chile. Something I have found while here is that agave is used as a decoration everywhere, especially in the state of Jalisco. In the median for roads, on the side of the road, in parks, and everywhere else you can think of, agave are planted by the local government.
These agave are not for harvest, but simply for decoration. That being said, it does a great job for branding. One can’t visit there without thinking about tequila.
In New Mexico, we have lots of ristras, chile pods, and chile roasters all around during chile season. Unfortunately, I don’t think I have ever seen a chile plant growing in a public space in Albuquerque. I don’t understand why something so important in our local culture doesn’t receive more attention from local governments. Chile is not very hard to grow, in fact I have grown it in several different countries with different climates. We already have parks with grass and other plants, so it shouldn’t be terribly hard to include chile in this as well.
Varieties of chile to grow
Naturally, I think that more mild varieties should be used, as children may eat the fruit of the plant if it is easily accessible. Still, the possible benefits to our community can be vast. It provides people a chance to see what kind of plant grows their favorite food. Many people don’t know much about chile, and can learn simply by seeing it. Additionally, chile plants will certainly be something tourists take pictures of. After all, chile is famous, and everyone who travels here knows that. If we provide more opportunities for people to show different aspects of our chile culture, more people will see and be interested in it.
New Mexico already has certain promotional sites such as New Mexico True, but having more visible chile plants will inspire more organic promotion of New Mexico and its chile tradition. Chile here is a real tangible aspect of society that we can show in its full form.
Chile’s Unifying Flavor
I believe that chile is one of the things that really unifies New Mexicans. If you are from here, whether you like Trump or Biden, or dislike both, you probably like chile. As long as you think New Mexican chile is superior to Colorado chile, we can all be friends. This aspect of our culture is one worth celebrating. It is one worth spreading. So now I ask, why don’t we grow more chile plants for decorative purposes?
When we open back up again on August 2nd, 2024, I will be sure to have some plants on hand in case anyone is curious how chile looks when it is growing. It is really quite enchanting watching the green chile turning to red.
Why is Hatch Chile so Famous?
In New Mexico, chile is a big deal to say the least. We schedule our year around picking up enough fresh roasted chile during the season. If we are running low in October, you better believe we will make a mad dash to the closest chile roaster to stock up ASAP. One place in New Mexico has a lot more fame than other areas, the village of Hatch.
About Hatch, New Mexico
The Village of Hatch is a small town with a population of just 1,648 according to the village website. Even with such a small population, it has managed to generate enough renown to call itself the “Chile Capital of the World.” Part of this is due to the farmland there and in surrounding areas producing so much delicious New Mexican chile. The long Hatch valley running along the Rio Grande provides a great terroir to grow some delicious chile.
The Hatch Chile Festival has been held since the 1970s, and will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year, in 2022. Although plenty of other great growing regions exist in New Mexico, this event causes the population of Hatch to temporarily grow about 20 times larger. Spice lovers from all over the world come together to celebrate the love of spice. Plenty of different competitions related to best salsa, spice tolerance, food, and much more is available to do.
Additionally, if you drive through the town during the season, you will see chile being roasted on literally every street corner, and ristras being used to decorate every shop, restaurant, and house. You can even find plenty of places who can teach you how to tie your own ristra. Additionally, there is a lot of decorative stuff for sale as well, tourists often buy those kinds of things, and Hatch is definitely focused on selling to tourists. We have plenty of chile ristras in Albuquerque also.
Even in the off season, you can find a lot of stores still open, but they won’t be selling fresh chile anymore, instead selling frozen and dried chile.
Great Burgers at Sparky’s
Sparky’s has a great burger worth trying If, like many other people traveling to Hatch, you are looking for a great green chile cheeseburger, Sparky’s is arguably the most famous place in New Mexico. They certainly have a delicious burger, with a decent heat level. It isn’t really cheap, but burgers worth traveling for rarely are. There is a ton of classic Americana decorating this place, so there is a lot of cool stuff to look at and take pictures of while you are waiting for food here.
Hatch chile and New Mexico chile
Hatch chile is great, but New Mexican chile culture is also a force of nature. The Rio Grande river valley goes right through the middle of New Mexico. Lots of farms grow in a very similar terroir to Hatch all throughout New Mexico. The elevation of Hatch is about 4,000 feet, where the elevation of Socorro is about 4,600. That region is also quite well known among New Mexicans, but not nearly as famous worldwide as Hatch.
Even the words “Hatch Chile” is much more popular than “New Mexico Chile,” even though chile produced at the Chile Pepper Institute of NMSU bears the title NuMex. Whether people say Hatch chile, New Mexico chile, Socorro, or Lemitar, we know that it is probably good stuff if grown in New Mexico. At our store, we sell chile from various parts of the state. We will always let you know where it is from and invite you to sample it before you buy. We pride ourselves on being the best place to get roasted chile in Albuquerque.
So, what makes Hatch famous? Personally I believe it is a combination of many things, including the overall chile tradition that they have. There are many growers, a supportive government, location close to NMSU, and great restaurants which spread the message as well. Even though it is a small town, when people come together and know what they stand for, great things happen.
Green Chile
As we are a chile market in New Mexico, green chile is our bread and butter. We’ve been roasting chile in Albuquerque since 1977, and selling it since 1962.
In New Mexico, green chile will be put into everything, even candy and drinks. Over the years, there have been many varieties of green chile grown in New Mexico. The most famous two, Sandia and Big Jim are often called for by name when people order their chile.
If you go to a New Mexican restaurant, you can be sure that everything come with an option: red or green. Most restaurants will also have at least one thing with green chile on it. Even McDonald’s sells green chile cheeseburgers.
We make a point to offer good quality chile. It is a lot more expensive than boxed chile sold in grocery stores, but it is definitely worth it. The chile we sell is bred for flavor, not just looks and mass production.
As green chile is a product which ripens as it ages, we change our growers farther north as the season progresses. This way, we can be sure to provide a distinctly green chile to contrast with the red chile we also sell in the later season. More than just that, New Mexican chile is a lot bigger than just Hatch.
Hatch, New Mexico has a great farming tradition. There are tons of farms there which grow a great variety of produce. There are some amazing chile growers there. Unfortunately, there are also plenty of growers who are only there for the name value. Terroir is important for many agricultural products, but the importance of good seeds and farming technique cannot be overstated.
New Mexico has a varied landscape, but there are many regions which are perfect for growing chile. Valleys such as Hatch, Socorro, and Chimayo are all well known for growing chile. If you find chile from these areas, it is likely as good or better than Hatch chile. In Albuquerque, we have been roasting chile for 47 years. We’ve roasted more chile than anyone in Albuquerque, and it’s not even close. Thank you Albuquerque for choosing us as your convenient place for roasted chile again in 2024!
During chile season, we roast chile in Albuquerque at 2010 Eubank NE every day from 9-5.
Estancia Pumpkins in Albuquerque
Considering that we have run grocery stores selling local produce in Albuquerque since 1962, it should be no surprise that our pumpkins are also local. We like to keep it simple, whether it is green chile, posole, red chile ristras, or something else. We are all about supporting local, and try to keep everything as close to home and as fresh as possible. Our pumpkin farmer is also our supplier for the best beans in the state.
If we source from a local farm, then we can get things fresh, quickly, and conveniently. There is no need to load semi trucks and deal with different pickups, nor is there a need to burn so much diesel. It’s good for us and the environment too.
Every year, we sell pumpkins right around the time chile season is ending. Pumpkins are fun and festive, and they also give us the ability to sell more outstanding inventory before we close for the year by bringing in customers like you.
October is a beautiful time here Where to get local pumpkins in Albuquerque
If you are looking for different types of pumpkins, rest assured, we have many. We generally carry mini pumpkins, pie pumpkins, Jack-o-lantern pumpkins, jumbo pumpkins, and mixed varieties as well. If you are looking for some festive fall squash, you should be able to find it at 2010 Eubank NE Albuquerque, New Mexico 87112.
How to use local pumpkins
Personally, my favorite pumpkins that we sell are definitely pie pumpkins, as their flavor is really quite nice. A bit of cinnamon, vanilla bean, clove and cardamom, and the flavor and aroma are unmatched. Pie pumpkins are also a nice easy size to carry, unlike the jumbo pumpkins which are almost as big as a whole sack of chile! This guide to preparing pie pumpkins can give you an idea of how to cook with them.
Pumpkins also allow many people to express their inner artist, even if they aren’t the most artistic person normally. This guide to carving a jack-o-lantern can help you cut a face into your creation. If you aren’t fond of cutting a pumpkin open, a marker works just fine as well.
Whether you are a big fan of Halloween or not, you can certainly let pumpkins brighten your mood. When you buy them at Farmers Chile Market, you can be sure that you are supporting local farms and local families. New Mexico has a strong community, and by buying local, we can all improve and strengthen it more. If you are in Albuquerque, we hope we can be your source for local pumpkins near you this October, and many more years to come.
The Many Varieties of Chile
Many types of New Mexico chile
Although we sell green chile by temperature, Mild, Medium, Hot, Extra Hot, XXX-hot, etc, the differences between New Mexico chile varieties run deeper than that.
Chile has been a big thing in New Mexico for a long time, and as a result, many different varieties exist. Many are bred for their size and meatiness, such as Big Jim. Some are bred to bring the heat, like Lumbre. Some chile is bred to mass produce, like Arizona 88. We don’t sell that one, as it is an inferior product, but most giant grocery stores do. Everyone has something different they look for in New Mexico chile, and that is why we let people see and try the chile before they buy. It is important for us to make sure you have the best possible chile experience.
The purpose of Different chile
Every chile serves a purpose, which includes much more than simply heat level. For our hot green chile, we generally get Miss Junie. Our ristras are made with Sandia, a chile variety developed by Roy Harper in 1956. Both are a solid “hot” temperature, but the Miss Junie a is slightly spicier, more meaty variety, which means it will roast better. Sandia is less so, which leads to better drying.
There are many different things that consumers look for in chile. Sometimes they need chile that is long and straight, so they can make chile rellenos. Big Jim, a cultivar developed by Roy Nakayama in the 1970s is typically the best for this. The mild 1904 and 6-4 varieties also work, as well as the hot Miss Junie.
Sometimes, people want as hot as possible. Traditionally, Barker was the choice for spice-lords, but Lumbre has overtaken its throne in recent years. Barker remains as the primary extra hot variety at Farmers Chile Market and most other chile stores. Lumbre is our XXX-hot variety.
The original New Mexico chile pepper was Numex No. 9, developed and released by Fabian Garcia a little over 100 years ago. Although it is not as common as other famous varieties of New Mexico chile in modern times, its purpose as the forefather of Hatch chile will always be significant.
Differences in the same varieties
Red or Green?
Red chile and green chile is another factor which is important. Green chiles have many differences with red. Red fruits are more mature, with a lot more sugar. They take longer to roast, and the peel is more resilient. They also dry much better, and hold their shape well, where green typically shrivels and doesn’t look great.
Red Chile
New Mexico chile typically ripens up to become red chile. Fresh red chile is quite sweet, but most people don’t eat it when it is fresh. Instead, most red chile is sun dried. These sun dried red chile pods are then ground into red chile powder by processors in Hatch New Mexico, or sold to consumers as whole chile pods. These pods are the base of New Mexico’s mother sauce, the red chile sauce. The arrival of fresh red chile is also a big milestone in the chile season, as it means that chile ristras are available. Although ristras are often used as just a decoration, they are also edible if they are untreated, and many fantastic chile sauces are made with chile ristras!
Green Chile
The arrival of green chile marks the beginning of what people refer to as the chile season, which typically goes from the start of August to nearly the end of October. Green chile is almost exclusively roasted and peeled before eating, but green chile powder has also become more and more popular in recent years. After roasting, it is typically bagged up in freezer bags and frozen for consumption at a later date. Chile Pasado is another way to preserve roasted green chile by drying it. Green chile is much less sweet than red chile, and I would argue that its flavor is somewhat more grassy and herbal than red. Due to it needing to be roasted to peel it off, I recommend finding a good chile roaster, or reading our guide to roasting green chile!
Common New Mexico Chile Varieties
Mild Chile Types
There are many chile varieties such as R Naky which are primarily grown as paprika type chile, and not meant to be roasted. As we are a chile roaster, we will primarily focus on chile commonly used in roasting or making New Mexican food.
New Mexico 6-4
This variety was developed as a team effort at NMSU based on Numex No 6, which was released by Dr. Roy Harper back in the 1940s. In Modern times, the NuMex Heritage 6-4 variety has become more common. It’s heat level is typically around 1,500 Scoville Heat Units, SHU or less.
NuMex Joe E. Parker
Another mild variety which was released in 1990, this chile is typically around 1,000 SHU.
Medium Chile Types
Big Jim Chile
The Big Jim chile variety was developed by Dr Roy Nakayama in the 1970s at NMSU in collaboration with famed chile farmer “Big Jim Lytle”. This chile went on to be labelled by Guinness as the world’s largest chile pepper. Possessing a medium heat, this is by far the best chile variety to be used for chile rellenos! In modern times, NuMex Heritage Big Jim has become more common. Big Jim is somewhat notorious for being a bit inconsistent in heat level, with some peppers being rather mild, while others are up to 9,000 SHU. Along with something I like to call “spiceflation,” or the perceived heat level going down as people desensitize themselves with hotter and hotter chile, more and more people are regarding Big Jim as Mild. We still classify it as medium, because it has been for the past 50 years. Maybe we will change this at some point, but we also have a long history and want to respect our New Mexico traditions!
Hot Chile Types
Sandia Chile
This is the traditional “hot” New Mexico chile, and has been since it was release in the 1956 by Dr. Roy Harper. Sandia is the primary chile used to make red chile ristras in New Mexico. A more modern version of Sandia, known as Sandia Select is also a great chile for roasting, as it is bigger and thicker.
Ms Junie
This relatively new chile variety was developed by Solar Dry Chile in Hatch. Named after the late, June Louise Franzoy Lytle Rutherford, this chile is somewhere between Big Jim and Sandia in size, while also being hotter than Sandia too! Although some chile vendors will mark this as an extra hot chile, it still is lighter in heat level than a Barker variety. Miss Junie is an amazing chile for roasting as it is big, thick, and juicy! It even works great in chile rellenos too. One major downside to it, is that because it is so juicy, it doesn’t dry as well in the sun. This is why ristras are usually made with Sandia chile over Ms Junie still.
Extra Hot Chile Types
Barker Chile
Barker chile has been the typical extra hot variety in New Mexico for as long as I can remember. It is quite a bit smaller than either Sandia or Miss Junie, but is almost always a decent amount spicier than either. Barker is more difficult to roast than other varieties of chile, as it is more prone to burning. It is not as juicy as many types of chile, so a roaster needs to pay attention when roasting this variety.
Hotter than Extra-Hot Types
Lumbre Chile
As of now, the most consistently hot New Mexico chile variety I know of is the Lumbre chile. It was developed in recent years by Jimmy Lyttle, son of “Big Jim” Lyttle. This veins of this chile are yellow, orange, and red, which should frighten you if you are afraid of spice. When we roast this chile, even the air around the roaster becomes spicy. We call this chile XXX-hot, because it is dangerous how spicy it is. Although it won’t be too hot for someone who eats ghost peppers like candy, when you eat a dish with a green chile sauce made of lumbre chile, you will feel the heat! We also try to carry this in dried red chile pods, but it often sells out within a day or two. If you see lumbre red chile pods, buy them right away!
Super spicy New Mexican Lumbre chiles Other types of chili Peppers
Superhot Chili Peppers
Superhot chilies are a new trend in chili pepper cultivation. twenty five years ago, the hottest peppers you might find would be things like habanero and scotch bonnets. Although the red savina pepper was the hottest in the world, few people really knew much about it at the time. The first superhot pepper to really kick off the modern spice craze was the bhut jolokia, or ghost pepper as it is most commonly known. Dr Paul Bosland of NMSU’s Chile Pepper Institute said this pepper “kind of opened the floodgates.”
Since then, other peppers emerged, with a new one taking the crown every year or two. Trinidad moruga scorpions were the top dog until they got overturned by the Carolina Reaper, which as just recently been overtaken by Pepper X. The amount of superhot chile varieties available now is immense, with tons of growers and researchers trying to make their own mark. One popular chile variety is the 7 pot, which has many different strains. You might have heard about a California reaper, which is a yellow version of the red Carolina reaper.
New hottest peppers
Although unconfirmed by Guinness, there are some new peppers that are rumored to be even spicier than the Carolina Reaper. If you ever hear of Dragons Breath or Pepper X, be prepared, as they are supposedly much hotter than even the Carolina Reaper. These new chile peppers are pure fire.
Sweet peppers
Along with a boom in superhots came a boom in the sweet pepper department as well. For decades, you could find a few colors of bell peppers at any old grocery store. These mild peppers give a good flavor and juiciness to any dish they are in, along with tons of health benefits. There are a lot of different sweet peppers available, such as the Corno di Toro. The Hamik pepper is one of the sweetest peppers you can find, with sweetness that makes it comparable to many fruits.
Famous peppers around the world
Many countries have their own chile traditions and cultures, just like us in New Mexico. In Japan, their most famous chile is the shishito pepper, which goes really great flame roasted and paired with beer. It is a very common bar food in Japan. In southeast Asia, the Thai or birds eye pepper reigns supreme, but stroll down any market, and you will see tons of different types of chile that you can never find in the US. If you get pho in the US, it typically has jalapenos, but in Vietnam, it typically comes with a local green chili and lime wedges. Mexico, has some of the most famous chile varieties in the US, so we have an entire post about different types of Mexican chile peppers!
India and Sri Lanka are famous for spicy food, which explains why the ghost pepper and naga chile varieties came from there. Trinidad is also quite famous for both the Trinidad Scorpion and the 7 pot varieties of chile. Cayenne pepper is another super famous pepper, and arguably the most used for spice powder which adds heat. Paprika is of course more common, but mild.
The world is a big place, and although I do consider myself a chile expert, my field is primarily related to chile in New Mexico. Because of that, I can’t list off every single pepper, but I can say that the amount of different pepper cultivars is simply astonishing. You will find different chile everywhere you go, as long as the cuisine is one that appreciates spice.
New Mexican Spice
Although there are many different types of chile peppers in the world, New Mexico is unique in a major way. We eat chile with literally everything. In a day, you might have three different meals and a snack, all containing chile. Whether it is green chile scrambled eggs for breakfast, a chile cheeseburger for lunch, some red chile beef jerky for a snack, or something else, we eat more chile than anywhere. Hatch is the Chile Capital of the World, but we love our chile everywhere in New Mexico. In fact, we love it so much, that even our neighbors can’t resist! Chile roasting season is a very important thing for us in New Mexico. It is especially important to us at Farmers Chile Market. We hope to be your destination to get your roasted chile in 2024!
Local New Mexican produce
We sell a lot more than red and green chile.
We’ve always been a big proponent of local produce, as the farmers can pick one day and deliver to us the next day. This allows the fruit more time to ripen on the plant, instead of being picked early.
Often this leads to the fruit being more fragile, as it is softer, and not protected by waxes or antifungal treatments. Local produce is generally less beautiful than produce produced in big farms in California or Mexico.
There is a tradeoff however, because fruit picked ripe is much more delicious. There is a reason we sell so many different local fruits at our chile stand.
Benefits of buying local
More than just flavor, buying locally grown produce strengthens our community and reduces our carbon footprint. There are many reasons to buy local, and we have always tried to promote that. For us, the main reason has always been providing the best possible quality produce. In our industry, things go bad in days, not weeks. If we get it fresh, we can sell it fresh. This helps ensure we have happy customers who remember us every chile season. It’s great that there are so many other benefits to buying local too. With covid and geopolitical problems, we now face supply chain issues, and shortening the supply chain makes us a stronger society, which is less prone to shortages, and more able to support itself.
Remember, you can always find us at 2010 Eubank, Albuquerque, NM 87112. We carry many different seasonal New Mexican products when they are available, including cantaloupes, watermelons, pumpkins, posole, tomatoes, onions, apples, and more. We aren’t just a chile roaster. If you want to buy local, remember Farmers Chile Market. We are a great spot to support the local community, and pick up roasted New Mexico green chile and red chile ristras along with your produce from Hatch, or another great growing area in New Mexico.
