NM Chile FAQ

We open the first Friday of August to Christmas. During this time, we are open every day from 9am to 5 pm.

All of our New Mexico chile products are from New Mexico, with the majority coming from either Hatch or San Antonio, New Mexico. Starting in 2022, we will also try selling more varieties of chile which aren’t as common in New Mexico, such as superhots and dried Mexican chile varieties as well.

The New Mexican chile season starts around August and lasts until mid-October. Some years it starts or ends earlier or later. Traditionally, chile was ready in late August, but now many producers begin harvest in early July. We think chile is best in August and September, so we wait until the good stuff comes out.

While it is hard to say definitively, there are many places that sell green chile as soon as they can get it. Often the chile will be very tender, and will not roast well. We almost always start later than our competitors for this reason. We don’t trust that chile will be up to our standards in July, as all good things take time. August and September typically have the best quality green chile, while red chile is generally best in late September and October.

While there are some fantastic farmers in Hatch, there are also plenty of companies looking to cash in on its name value. Just because something is from Hatch does not mean it is better than product from elsewhere in New Mexico. There are plenty of other well known growing regions in New Mexico, including the Socorro valley and Chimayo.

In the grand scheme of things, New Mexico chile is not very spicy compared to many other chile varieties. That being said, you will often use more of it than you would use something like a habanero, so there is definitely a lot of fire with some varieties. Even if your spice tolerance is very high, you should still enjoy Barker or Lumbre chile strains.

Yes, we are the same family that ran those stores. We now operate a seasonal business instead of year round. Find out more by reading Our Story

No, but we do take plenty of trips to farms every year in order to ensure quality. Our name “Farmers Market” was chosen by my great grandfather way back in 1962, and the name “Farmers Chile Market” pays homage to that. I am the 4th generation in this business, and I have more information about myself on the page about me.

Both green and red are great in different situations. Green is great for its simplicity. Red has a lot more complex flavor, and is generally suited more to things with longer cooking times.
Green chile is generally more simple to use, and works quite well just chopped up and used as a topping.

Use a very high source of heat and blister the peel. Let it blacken a good amount, then turn onto the other side. Check here for a more detailed guide.

Farmers Chile Market, or Farmers Market as it was called back then, started roasting in 1977, long before any other stores did. We’ve been open and selling chile since 1962 when my great grandfather opened the store Farmers Market.

We are located at 2010 Eubank NE Albuquerque, New Mexico 87112.

You can call us at 505-362-3058 or send a message to our Facebook page

This is a difficult question, as it depends on a lot of factors. If it is frozen, you can put it in styrofoam with dry ice, then choose 2 day shipping. If it is dry, ship it in a box that fits snugly, but not too tight. Ristras can be bubble wrapped if they are dry. As long as the box fits well and the ristra is not bent, it should arrive in decent condition.

Yes, we usually have plenty of fresh red chile available by early September.

Ristra making is actually a lot more simple than it looks. It it basically a process of stacking chile, then tying or sewing it all together. Check out our Guide to Making a Ristra on our main ristra page.

Yes, everything we sell is edible. At our core, we are a seasonal produce market. While you are welcome to treat our ristras so they last longer, we guarantee that the flavor is worth trying.

Where you hang a ristra will determine how long it will last. To last the longest, hang it inside. Keep it away from the wind to help prevent it from being battered against walls. Check out our post Where to hang a chile ristra for more info.

We are at 2010 Eubank Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87112. We are on the corner of Eubank and Snowheights in the northeast heights, nearby IMF Tires and Automotive and Mister Car Wash, formerly known as Octopus, which was the carwash which appeared frequently in Breaking Bad.

We will begin roasting chile on Friday, August 2nd 2024 at 2010 Eubank Blvd NE. It will be our 47th year roasting chile in Albuquerque!

It involves many steps to get chile from the farm to the table, and the following images and captions will tell the story well. Enjoy

We have a webshop here on our website, and also sell on various other channels too! Feel free to check out our Etsy shop too in case you prefer buying over there!