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Come for the balloon fiesta – Stay for the Chile!
The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is here, and with it the population of Albuquerque almost doubles! That’s not the only great thing going on in Albuquerque during this time though. The Balloon Fiesta also coincides with the chile season!
This means that if you are in town for the Balloon Fiesta, it is also the perfect time to stock up on some delicious roasted Hatch green chile!
Not only the chile season!
In addition to chile, October also means that New Mexico has new crop pinon nuts, and so much more than just red and green chile. In case you are visiting for a short time, it really is imperative that you visit a chile roaster who has all the different New Mexico delicacies available. At Farmers Chile Market, we pride ourselves on stocking many different New Mexican specialty ingredients, including many different types of chile fresh, frozen, and dried. We also carry chicos made nearby Santa Fe in the town of Espanola! We carry pinto beans from Estancia, just past the Sandia mountains too. All these products and more are new crop in October, meaning peak freshness and flavor.
Not only the Balloon Fiesta
This time also has a lot of other local events going on, which we often go out and roast chile at! We love spreading the tradition of roasted chile as far and wide as possible! In fact, if you have a place nearby New Mexico and you want to host a week of chile roasting, be sure to contact us by email! I love going on the road and roasting at different places! It usually needs a few weeks of time to set up, due to the need to contact local regulators, but I have everything we need to roast safely and up to code of just about anywhere in the states.
Your New Mexico Chile Shop
We are glad to be your favorite shop for Hatch, New Mexico chile this 2024 chile season, as well as every chile season since 1962! We are Albuquerque’s Original Chile Roaster, and have been roasting chile since 1977. As the premier green chile store in Albuquerque, we carry tons of different varieties of chile, including mild, medium, hot, extra-hot, and xxx-hot. We also carry many other types of chili peppers, with a large selection of Mexican chile and even fresh and dried superhot and exotic chili peppers!
Nowadays, we are more and more involved in the 21st century. We are beginning a webshop this year in order to reach not only New Mexicans, but all around the US. We are committed to providing the best possible experience selling chile online, just as we have for over 60 years at our brick and mortar location at 2010 Eubank Blvd NE 87112.
Hatch Chile for sale near you
If you are searching for a chile shop, you can certainly find it at Farmers Chile Market in Albuquerque. We pride ourselves in being a great answer to people looking for a Hatch chile store nearby. Although we sell different chile products from many farms in New Mexico, we always have a good selection of chile from Hatch, NM for people who want chile from Hatch specifically. During the chile season, we always have many varieties of New Mexico chile for sale. In addition to that, you can be sure to get some nice Hatch red chile ristras for sale near you too! Although we don’t get fresh ristras until early September, we will start roasting Hatch green chile on Friday, August 2nd, 2024 this chile season!
What chile products we sell
We carry fresh green and red chile when it is available during the chile season of August, September, and October, every day from 9-5. We full or half sacks to order for people who want large portions of chile. We also sell smaller sizes for people who want less chile or want to try a variety of different flavors before getting a large amount. We carry a lot of dried chile varieties including red chile pods, chile pasado, and dried superhot and exotic peppers like Pepper X and Aji Charapita. We also try to carry different chile inspired foods, such as green chile blue corn cornbread and green chile beef jerky.
In addition to that, we also have a wider variety of red chile ristras than anyone in Albuquerque. Whether you are looking for a 5 foot long Sandia chile ristra, a cross made with chile pequin, a large wreath for your door, a chile cross for Christmas or a heart for your significant other, we have it. We even carry lacquered red chile ornaments made by a local artist. Speaking of local artists, we have plenty of decorative crosses made with local woods and stones on offer too!
A commitment to local New Mexican quality
Just about everything we sell is locally produced in New Mexico. Aside from Palisade, Colorado peaches, and some honey, everything we sell is local. We have been selling chile at our shop in Albuquerque since the 60s, and know more local farmers than anyone. Every dollar you spend with us goes back to local farmers and artisans, which is important in building a strong and resilient local economy.
Thank you to Albuquerque for making us your favorite New Mexico chile store for over 60 years, and hopefully 60 more!
Local New Mexico melons have arrived
We try to carry as much local produce as we can. We sell a lot more than just green and red chile products. In terms of local food, we have beans from Estancia, chicos from Espanola, watermelons from Hatch, and cantaloupes from San Antonio, New Mexico. More produce will be available as it comes into season, such as tree fruit like peaches, plums, and even apples later in the season.
The flavor of local produce can’t be matched, because the short supply chain makes it so farmers can harvest when the fruit and melons are ripe. Our produce we sell doesn’t need to sit for a week or more in trucks and distribution centers before it reaches you. In general, it is picked one day before we start selling it. Talk about fresh!
In modern times, we are seeing how dangerous global supply chains are becoming. The more reliant we are on foreign countries like China and Russia, the bigger problems we have when supply gets interrupted for whatever reason. Although we aren’t a big impact on the overall market, we believe keeping business close to home is the best way to ensure food stability. The United States is an agricultural powerhouse, and we want to showcase the unique produce available in New Mexico. We grow a lot more than chile here, and have some amazing farmers who deserve recognition.
Yes, we have chile too
We have many varieties of chile, ranging from mild to lumbre, our xxx hot. We also have a decent amount of chile ristras, for those of you who want some southwestern style in your life. Additionally, we have chile pasado, which is dried roasted chile. Chile pasado is a great thing to ship, as it is lightweight and not very bulky.
Early thoughts on the 2022 chile season
For those of you who are looking for more information about the timeline of the Hatch chile season, be sure to read out post on that! In 2024, we will begin roasting chile on Friday, August 2nd.
We started roasted chile three days ago, so these are still very early musings, but I figured I would share them.
Chile seems hotter this year rather than last year. Last year, most chile seemed mild compared to usual. Big Jim especially was mild, and was one of the bigger complaints we heard. Although I don’t have a large enough sample size to say definitively, our first shot of Big Jim is definitely hotter than anything last year. Chile seems to be roasting quite nicely so far as well.
Setting up our tent was harder this year than in the past. We expanded it a lot, and unfortunately the people we hired to change the shape disappeared. It led to a lot more work for me especially, and we had to push our opening back by a day. Luckily, this didn’t impact anything to do with our chile roasting or refrigeration, but we were a bit behind on packaging. This year, we are testing new packaging because we want to get more involved in ecommerce. This is a big step for us, as we haven’t done shipping or anything of that nature before. Hopefully our customers like you will feel our packaging is prettier and also more convenient. Additionally, we are going to offer more sizes of products, including chile powders, chile pods, posole, and chicos.
We are trying hard to make our stand a lot better this year by offering more variety of chile, including superhot chile, such as Carolina Reapers or KS Lemon Starburst. More than just that, we will get different varieties of Mexican chile as well, such as Guajillo and Cascabel. We want to be more of a “Chile Market,” as that is our name.
We are working on getting specialty produce, such as Colorado peaches, but the price is very high, and may not be possible this year. We will definitely have plenty of local produce, as our farmers are still growing, and local is much more affordable due to insane logistics prices in our stagflating US economy. We know inflation hurts everyone, which is a big reason why we are expanding our sizes. We want to have affordable options for everyone, whether they want a lot of chile, or a small amount.
This is our 45th year roasting chile in Albuquerque. We were the originals, and we still got it. Although it is still early season and we don’t have much available yet, feel free to stop in and get some chile. We waited a month longer than a lot of roasters to start, so all of our green chile is nice and mature, and roasts great. Pretty soon, we will get into red chile, which will also bring chile ristras. This time of year is a lot of work for us, but a lot of fun too. Come share the fun with us at 2010 Eubank Blvd NE.
How to get to Farmers Chile Market
Your source for New Mexico chile products
Whether you want fresh roasted green chile, Hatch red chile ristras, local fruits, chicos, beans, or some other New Mexican specialty, we can be your connection to that at 2010 Eubank Blvd NE. We carry lots of local food products, specializing in chile every chile season. From here, we have many different directions depending on where in the city you are. Click on this map for the most convenience, or read on to get more detailed instructions.
How to get to Farmers Chile Market from Santa Fe
This one is pretty easy. From Santa Fe, take I-25 southbound until you get to the Big I, which is the I-25 and I-40 interchange. Go eastbound on I-40 towards the mountains. Continue on I-40 until you see the Eubank exit. You will want to go left onto Eubank, and proceed to go northbound. When you arrive at 2010 Eubank Blvd NE, you have arrived at the best place to get green chile in Albuquerque during the chile season.
How to get to Farmers Chile Market from Las Cruces, Hatch, Truth or Consequences, and the Socorro Valley
The main thing to do is take I-25. North of Las Cruces, you will pass through Hatch, New Mexico. Hatch is a great spot for a green chile cheeseburger at Sparky’s, and there are plenty of chile roasters over there too. Continue north and you will see Truth or Consequences, a charming artsy town with craft beer and hot springs you can soak in. Further north of Truth or Consequences is San Antonio, New Mexico. San Antonio is a small town with lots of chile farms and two fantastic green chile cheeseburgers. The Owl and Buckthorn are both great stops on the green chile cheeseburger trail. North of San Antonio, you will Pass through Socorro, and then Lemitar. Many people love chile from Lemitar, and we think the whole Socorro valley has amazing terroir. Passing Lemitar, you will travel north until you get to the Big I, where I-25 meets I-40. Go eastbound on I-40 towards the mountains. Continue on I-40 until you see the Eubank exit. You will want to go left onto Eubank, and proceed to go northbound to 2010 Eubank Blvd NE.
How to get to Farmers Chile Market from the Balloon Fiesta
Depending on the year, this may be different as the Balloon Fiesta is a massive event, and traffic conditions can be tricky. If you are at the main parking lot near the northeast gate, take Balloon Fiesta Parkway east to San Mateo and turn right, going southbound. Continue on San Mateo and turn left on Alameda going east towards to mountains. Get on I-25 going south until you get to the Big I, which is the I-25 and I-40 interchange. Go eastbound on I-40 towards the mountains. Continue on I-40 until you see the Eubank exit. You will want to go left onto Eubank, and proceed to go northbound. When you arrive at 2010 Eubank Blvd NE, you have arrived at the best place to get green chile in Albuquerque during the chile season.
How to get to Farmers Chile Market from Old Town
From the Old Town Plaza, go north on San Felipe Street and turn left on Mountain, going westbound. Take the first right on Rio Grande Blvd going North, then take another right onto I-40 going east towards the mountains. Continue on I-40 until you see the Eubank exit. You will want to go left onto Eubank, and proceed to go northbound. When you arrive at 2010 Eubank Blvd NE, you have arrived at the best place to get a red chile ristra for you and another ristra for your friend during your trip in Albuquerque this chile season.
How to get to Farmers Chile Market from Downtown, UNM, Nob Hill, and Expo NM
From Downtown, take Central, also known as Route 66 eastbound towards the mountains. You will pass by the University of New Mexico. Across from UNM is Frontier restaurant, a local landmark, and a must stop for green chile stew. North of there, you will see lots of different restaurants and bars in the Nob Hill area. Keep going north, and you will see Expo New Mexico, the state fairgrounds, which hosts a large flea market every weekend. Keep going north until you arrive at Eubank Blvd. Turn left on Eubank and proceed north, passing over I-40. hen you arrive at 2010 Eubank Blvd NE, you have arrived at Albuquerque’s Original Chile Roaster.
How to get to Farmers Chile Market from North Domingo Baca Park
Go Southbound on Wyoming all the way to Menaul Blvd. Turn left on Menaul and go east, the direction of the Sandia mountains. From here go east until Eubank Blvd, where you can turn right before the light. Look for Mister carwash, the carwash which appeared in Breaking Bad, and turn right there. Continue on this road and merge onto Eubank, trying to get into the left lane as soon as you safely can. Pass by Snowheights, and turn left immediately after at 2010 Eubank Blvd NE. You have arrived at to place to go for many different New Mexican delicacies like chicos, beans, and red and green chile. Maybe you can find a nice chile ristra as well.
How to get to Farmers Chile Market from the Sandia Peak Tramway
Go Southbound on Tramway Blvd until you get to Menaul Blvd, and turn right going west. Continue on Menaul until you get to Eubank and turn left, going south again. Pass over Snowheights, the next stoplight and immediately turn left when you see the big tent. You have found your destination, now go get your chile fix.
How to get to Farmers Chile Market from Albuquerque Sunport
Follow the road signs to I-25, and go northbound with the Sandia mountains on your right side. Continue north until you get to the Big I, where I-25 meets I-40. Go eastbound on I-40 towards the mountains. Continue on I-40 until you see the Eubank exit. You will want to go left onto Eubank, and proceed to go northbound to 2010 Eubank Blvd NE. Now get some spicy chile.
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.
About me
I’m 34 years old, and the 4th generation of Farmers Market in Albuquerque. I grew up in the Farmers Market stores and worked there since I was about 10 years old. I’ve been roasting chile since I was 12, and have been a fan of green and red chile for even longer.
I’ve visited a lot of farms, as I’ve always had a fascination with produce. I’ve been to chile farms, coffee farms, vegetable farms, hop farms, vineyards, and many more. There is always something new you can learn from farmers.
In addition to living in New Mexico, I have also lived in Japan, Taiwan, and Vietnam, and speak the languages as well. It has given me a good perspective about different flavor profiles, as has working as a chef while living abroad. Other projects I am involved in besides chile are Rieng, a lifestyle e-zine in Vietnam, ABQ Spice, a spice startup I will launch during chile season in order to take advantage of my culinary skills, and Albuquerque Chile, a blog based on chile focused foods in New Mexico.
If you are interested in beer or fermentation related content, I also have a blog called Beer with Jhett.
Running a chile stand gives me the freedom to travel and learn new languages, cultures, and cuisines, and I hope to bring that knowledge back to Albuquerque. I know a lot about New Mexico chile, and do my best to learn more in order to provide the best quality for our loyal customers.
