Your cart is currently empty!
Tag: roasting
2022 Hatch chile season
It’s July now, and that means green chile is almost ready! Although some farmers have already started harvesting chile, we believe it isn’t up to our standards yet. We will start roasting on August 4th, 2022 starting with Medium and Hot varieties, and more to come later as more chile matures. In case you are on this page in 2024, we will start roasting on Friday August 2nd 2024!
If you can’t wait and need chile now, here is a guide to make sure you get the best chile possible, wherever you buy!
No matter where you are, the chile season is a great time to get some spicy chile peppers from the chile capital of the world, New Mexico. The season starts with a few varieties of chile which range in a medium to hot heat level. Mild is not grown in large quantities, so it generally will be available later as a result. The hotter the chile is, the more difficult it is to grow to a level where it roasts well, so extra hot and lumbre chile usually arrives two or three weeks after our first shipment. More than just that, green chile is only one side of the flavor experience you can get during the New Mexico chile season. Green chile ripens to red chile as the season progresses, and lets people have access not only to Autumn roast chile, but also fresh red chile.
Red chile
We will start getting fresh red chile in the month of September. We can roast it for those who like the sweet roasted flavor of fresh red chile. It is also great for tying your own chile ristra, and we will be glad to teach you how to do it.
As always, we will have a great variety, including special shape pequin ristras and muti-colored ristras, in addition to the traditional sandia red chile ristras. You can be sure that our prices will be competitive with any seller in Albuquerque and definitely better priced than any other chile stores in the northeast heights.
Our 45th chile roasting season
Although we have been selling Hatch chile since the early 1960s, we started roasting chile in 1977. That means this year marks our 45th year roasting chile in Albuquerque. Thank you for continuing to make Farmers Chile Market your choice for the 2022 New Mexico chile season. Follow us on Facebook if you want more information or up to date information on our chile roasting operation this year.
Lumbre, the hottest New Mexico chile
Lumbre chile is a relatively new New Mexico chile variety which is quite spicy. It was developed by Jimmy Lyttle, son of “Big Jim” Lyttle. Considering Big Jim is arguably the most famous New Mexico chile, that is some spicy heritage they have.
When compared to other chile peppers, New Mexico chile in general is not too spicy. The main reason it is so popular is for its flavor, size, and the thick, meaty texture. Spice is important, but there are far spicier chile varieties available. Even a jalapeno is more spicy than most New Mexico chile.
Lumbre is an exception to this rule. Lumbre chile is so spicy that it makes our eyes water when we bag it after roasting. In order to ensure quality, I need to sample chile when it comes in. Lumbre is a chile I dread tasting, even if I only break a piece off at the relatively mild tip. For reference regarding raw chile, only about 5% of the spice will be in the tip, where about half will be in the inch near the tip. After roasting, many of the cell walls are broken, juices flow, and the heat will be more balanced throughout the chile.
Regarding size, Lumbre is fairly large compared to most hot chile peppers, but quite small compared with most New Mexico chile varieties. It grows about 4-5 inches long, and has thinner walls than other varieties. It also curves more, and often has a hooked tip. The veins inside are pretty much all tinged shades of yellow, orange, and red. Altogether it is a quite beautiful chile.
Roasting Lumbre Chile
Despite being much smaller than other varieties, Lumbre actually roasts quite well. The peel is thin, and blisters quite easily. This means it can peel well before the chile starts to burn. If you want to get roasted lumbre chile in Albuquerque, we are open from August to the end of October every year at 2010 Eubank, Albuquerque, NM 87112.
Roasted Lumbre green chile 
Chile Roasting in Albuquerque
Where to get chile roasted in Albuquerque
If you are looking to get some green chile roasted in Albuquerque, there is only one place that has been doing it since 1977. Farmers Chile Market, located at 2010 Eubank Blvd NE, or just Farmers Market back then, started the Albuquerque chile roasting tradition when the owner Jhett was just 19 years old. That means as of this 2024 chile season we have been roasting green chile for 47 years. Altogether, we have over 100 years of experience roasting chile in New Mexico!
Since then, roasted chile has overtaken the city, and it seems like you can find chile roasters on most major street corners these days. In New Mexico, whether you spell it chile or chili, it isn’t hard to find roasting. Even large grocery chains set up roasters, but generally the chile and roast quality is not as good. Just like most other industries, the more local it is, the better. As a business started in 1962, we are as local as it gets for Albuquerque. We’ve been roasting Hatch chile since before it was world famous, and probably helped many people discover what really makes New Mexico the Land of Enchantment. Something we do that most places don’t, is we also roast fresh red chile too! Whether you want roasted green chile, red chile, or both, we can do it for you!
A New Mexico Tradition
The fact is, green and red chile are part of the fabric which makes up Albuquerque. Whether you want to roast it yourself in the oven, or have us roast it on our barrel roasters, chile roasting is a staple of life in Albuquerque. There is a reason we always ask the question “green or red?” when it comes to our favorite spicy food. Chile, both green and red are fundamental to every kitchen. If you don’t like spice, we have mild, and if you love spice, we have super hot kinds of chile like Lumbre. Every New Mexican is able to find a perfect chile for them.
Often, chile roasters become almost like a town hall, with many people coming together and discussing chile, life, and making new friendships as they watch their chile being roasted. It is one of the things that really unites New Mexicans. Everyone has the experience of getting fresh roasted chile, whether they buy it themselves or get some from their friends and family.
If you are looking for chile roasting in Albuquerque, you can find us from August to the end of October at 2010 Eubank Blvd NE Albuquerque, New Mexico 87112. If you have any questions about flavors or varieties of chile, or other local produce which we carry, you can call 505-362-3058 or message our facebook page. More than just fresh roasted chile, we also have plenty of other chile products, such as chile ristras to choose from. More than just that, we carry plenty of local produce when it is in season. Because local produce arrives only one day after harvest, it allows our farmers to let the fruits vine ripen longer than the massive agricultural operations in other states are able to.
A commitment to quality roasted chile
We aim to please, and always offer the highest quality chile we can find. There is a reason our chile is priced higher than major grocery stores. It costs more to grow and handle. Chile for us isn’t some afterthought loss leader. We are chile specialists, and sell specialty chile products.
We care a lot about your satisfaction. If you have any requests, we will try to accommodate them. You are always welcome to sample the chile we sell before you buy, and can mix flavors if you want a spice level that better suits you. We can even roast garlic or onions with your chile, which takes the fragrance up a notch. When it comes to delicious spicy food, New Mexico chile is a wonderful ingredient. Why not prepare it exactly how you want it?
So next time you are wondering “where to get chile roasting near me,” just remember Farmers Chile Market at 2010 Eubank Blvd NE in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
If you are interested in unique ways to prepare green chile, try fermenting it.
Hatch Green Chile roasting in Abluquerque Albuquerque’s Original Chile Roaster
As the original chile roaster in Albuquerque, we have a duty to uphold our long tradition of serving up quality local produce at a good price. When we were known just as Farmers Market, we were the best value grocery store in Albuquerque for decades. People knew us as the place where “A Fast Nickel Beats a Slow Dime.” Although that phrase has lost its meaning over time due to inflation, we still strive to provide a great value for our customers. We are not some simple souvenir shop like some chile businesses around Albuquerque who charge tourists ways more than they ought to for chile products. We are not the cheapest around, but if that is what you want, Wal Mart and other grocery conglomerates have plenty of inferior chile for cheap. What we offer is excellent chile products and high quality local produce at good prices. We hope that you can see for yourself this 2024 chile season at Farmers Chile Market, Albuquerque’s Original Chile Roaster.
If you want more information about New Mexico chile products, you can be sure to find it on our blog. Read more about the history and culture of NM chile. Our blog has a lot of content, and will have more regularly throughout the chile season. We even have a decent FAQ in case you have any questions about chile ristras. As you can see, Farmers Chile Market has a lot of information about New Mexico chile products. We know so many different local farmers and work very hard to have the best knowledge about different local produce every single season. All of this work is to ensure we provide our customers with the best possible product at the best value we can. The original brick and mortar Farmers Market is gone, but our philosophy continues on for over 60 years. Nickels and Dimes aren’t worth much anymore in 2024, but we will still do our best to give you the best value New Mexican produce in Albuquerque.
Roasted Lumbre green chile Remember us for chile ristras in Albuquerque too
Find us in the Northeast Heights, north of I-40 in Albuquerque
How to cook with Hatch Chile
Be sure to check out our recipes section for ideas on what to cook with New Mexico’s favorite food!
How to roast Hatch green chile
This page is now obsolete, and has been combined with the post How to Roast Hatch Chile to cover both roasting at home and also roasting as a professional! Please view that guide as it is much more detailed than this one!
To begin with, we need to analyze what we want from the roast. In general, the purpose of roasting is mainly to peel the chile, with a smaller emphasis put on giving it a smoky flavor profile.
In order to peel a chile, it has to have a point where it peels FROM. That means you need a lot of direct heat on the chile to blister it. These blisters are fracture points of the peel, and where you can start to pull it off.
So, step 1 is high heat, as hot as you can. This would be your oven’s broiler, a bbq grill, or a blowtorch. Or you can be like me and have a few barrel roasters lying around.
You want to keep it on that high source of heat for about 3-4 minutes, but watch carefully. If you heat the chile for too long, it will burn, and the peel will stick back onto the fruit. Blackening is good, and if up to half of a side of chile blackens, it is still ok. More than that and you will risk burning.
Flip it over, and do the same to the other side. Some chiles have more than 2 sides, just turn it over again. Once you blacken all the sides, you can peel it under a running tap. You can also give it a dump in cold water to help loosen the peel also. The rapid change in temperature can help separate the peel even more.
I hope you enjoy roasting your New Mexico green chile. If you want to skip the work of roasting, we roast chile every day in Albuquerque during chile season. You can find us at 2010 Eubank Blvd NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87112. Part 2 will be a guide to roasting with a barrel roaster.
In case you are just looking to buy roasted chile, we will begin roasting on Friday August 2nd, 2024 for our 47th chile roasting season!
