I've heard you guys talk about this chile on several occasions . It must be really good. What all do you use it for?

Tim

Tim, Hatch is a chile very similar to the Anaheim...I think a New Mexico number 9 was developed into the Hatch in Hatch, NM, and Anaheim in Anaheim, CA. The main claim is that Hatch clay soil and weather increase the heat and flavor (the Hatch is hotter than Anaheim from the start, too). Phenomenal roasting and stuffing peppers.

Josh

I Just checked my Albertson's (here in Albuquerque) receipt: I was wrong ... the 30 lbs. roasted was $14.88 ... NOT $18.00 !!!! Sorry about that!

It was from the 'Young Guns' farms in Hatch, NM. Their history can be seen on their website. 'Sichler Farms' just south of Albuquerque also grows some great chile. Getting one's roasted chile in the Fall here is a yearly New Mexican pilgrimage and hot topic of conversation this time of year!

greenman: there is no variety of chile called 'Hatch'- just a place in New Mexico where many varieties of chile are grown. 'Young Guns' bags of chile don't have the variety mentioned on their sacks of chile either... just mild, medium & hot & 'grown in Hatch, New Mexico'.

You're right. And from what I've seen, the variety most often called Hatch for roasting has the look of an Anaheim, along with numerous other generic green chiles.

Josh

Not sure, but I think I had read that they have developed a mechanical chile picker.... but that would put a lot of pickers out of jobs/work! Not sure either how the farms decide how much of the chile crop they let ripen to red either in the Fall.

I want to visit the New Mexico Chile Institute in Las Cruces, NM some day; most of the chile testing/experimenting is done there & Hubby bought a lot of his seed from them before he began harvesting his own in the Fall to plant in the Spring. Happy to now know the name of his yellow jal that 'visited' his chile patch!!!

Thanks, everyone!