Hard Times for a Hot Commodity, the Prized New Mexico Chile

[dalton99a]

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/16/dining/hatch-chiles-new-mexico.html

Hard Times for a Hot Commodity, the Prized New Mexico Chile
Years of drought, erratic weather and other stresses are taking their toll on the peppers that are central to the state’s economy and identity.
By Amelia Nierenberg
Dec. 16, 2019

HATCH, N.M. — In all her eight decades of farming in southeastern New Mexico, June Rutherford has never seen a chile season this bad.

“The weather hasn’t been a bit good for chile,” said Ms. Rutherford, who was recently crowned Queen of the Great New Mexico Chile Taste-Off, in Socorro, N.M., about 110 miles north of Hatch.

At 95, Ms. Rutherford is the matriarch of the Franzoy family, one of the first to commercialize the Hatch chile, a mainstay of the farm-based economy here and a brand known around the world.

“It’s been hot,” the queen said, sitting at her dining-room table, a crown atop her curls. “Hot and dry.”

More than two decades of drought have drained the reservoirs, which are fed by the Rio Grande, a river that — even on a good year — flows shallow in the parched riverbed. But a shortage of water for irrigation is just one of many forces threatening the future of the state’s signature food.

The peppers depend on hot days and cool nights, growing comfortably between 55 and 95 degrees, to develop the desired taste and heat. Since at least the 1970s, summer daytime temperatures have reached 100 degrees or higher. The excessive heat, a symptom of climate change felt across the Southwest, can blister the chiles’ fragile skin and interrupt the growth cycle.


In fields around Hatch, N.M., workers pick chile by hand, careful not to bruise the state’s prized crop. But the peppers are in trouble. Ramsay de Give for The New York Times


In Mr. Franzoy’s fields, workers spend hours on their knees, snapping green chile off the plants. Most are from Mexico and come each year to pick for the season. Ramsay de Give for The New York Times


Green chile in Mr. Franzoy’s fields. Ramsay de Give for The New York Times

[RockRaven]

1. The podcast "99% Invisible" did an episode on this very topic in early November

For those who like audio news/story-telling.

I think it was called "How to Pick a Pepper" or something similar. It included June Rutherford as well.

[Maru Kitteh]

6. That's a good podcast, I'll have to go listen to that episode, thanks!

[dweller]

2. the hatch

or Anaheim chili is one of the most flavorful, but mild chili out there
makes an excellent relleno ... yum

✌🏼

[harumph]

3. you're right poblano peppers are inferior - but used more often.

[pamela]

4. I was just in Hatch the other day.

Love that town.


Props to New York Times for spelling chile correctly.

[panader0]

13. I love it too.

Eat at Sparky's--great food and blues music.
I was there two months ago. The harvest looked fine to me.
As always I bought a red chile ristra for the front door for a Christmas
decoration. (and later into the beans).
The fields in Hatch get their water from the Rio Grande and it was
flowing as usual.

[Goodheart]

5. This is sad... I love Hatch chiles.

[Brother Buzz]

7. The Hatch chilie is a big deal in California

[Buzz cook]

8. We didn't get any here this year.

Usually there will be roasters out in late Augusy/early September. We'll buy a few bags and have Hatch chile everything till they run out.

Standing down wind of a roaster is one of lifes simple pleasures.

[Kali]

9. yep never saw the the corner roasters in town this year

almost drove to Hatch instead but never made the time. stuck buying at $2/lb from the store and doing on the grill in small batches. delicious but not like haveing 20 lbs in the freezer.

[panader0]

14. Elfrida!

[Kali]

16. true!

hey, did you have your surgery?

[panader0]

17. Yes. It went well.

I don't like the forced inactivity.

[Kali]

18. glad to hear, that restriction will be over soon

and could have been much longer if things went haywire.

[Cicada]

10. The Big Jim variety is the best Hatch pepper

A cousin of mine married into a family of Mew Mexico restaurant owners, they have owned Mexican restaurants there for generations. I learned from her that the king is the Big Jim variant. That variant was bred by an agricultural scientist at the University and those in the know know the Big Jim is the best.

[dalton99a]

11. +1. That scientist was "Mr. Chile":

https://president.nmsu.edu/roy-m-nakayama/

Roy Minoru Nakayama was born on Sept. 11, 1923, to John K. and Tome Nakayama, who emigrated to the U.S. from Japan. John and Tome began their family in Nebraska where John worked on a farm. After he sustained an injury, the Nakayamas decided to relocate to a warmer climate and headed to the Southwest. The family came upon the Las Cruces area and eventually planted some roots. They had eight children, including Roy, who was to become known as “Mr. Chile.”

After two years at New Mexico State University (then New Mexico A&M), Roy Nakayama enlisted in the United States Army and was called to active duty in 1943. He participated in the Battle of the Bulge and was captured. He spent seven months in captivity before being liberated.

Nakayama returned to NMSU, where he earned his bachelor’s degree. He went on to attend Iowa State University and earned master’s and doctoral degrees. Returning to Las Cruces, Nakayama taught and conducted research in agriculture and horticulture at NMSU for 32 years before retiring in the mid-1980s.

Nakayama developed chile varieties that greatly advanced the industry and helped make chile a commercial crop. His endeavors included releasing the chile cultivars NuMex Big Jim, the NuMex R Naky (the “R” is for his wife, Rose) and the Española Improved, which was released in collaboration with Frank Mata, then superintendent of the NMSU Agricultural Science Center in Alcalde.

In addition to his work related to chile, he dedicated time to research on pecans. Nakayama is credited with developing two pecan types, Sullivan and Salopek. He also served as a consultant for the NMSU-U.S. Agency for International Development joint program in Paraguay, setting up horticultural research and teaching programs at the University of Asunción.

The New York Times published an obituary on him after his death:
https://www.nytimes.com/1988/07/14/obituaries/roy-nakayama-expert-on-chili-dies-at-64.html
Roy Nakayama, Expert on Chili, Dies at 64
July 14, 1988

[Amishman]

12. what they do get should be extra spicy

stressed plants produce hotter peppers

[KY_EnviroGuy]

15. Web page on the Hatch Chilies....

See: https://www.pepperscale.com/hatch-peppers

(snips)

What are Hatch chilies?

The answer to that is different than any other type of chili pepper on the market. Hatch chilies is the name for varieties of New Mexico peppers that are grown specifically in the Hatch Valley region. These are chili strains that have been cultivated and cross-bred for well over a century by New Mexico State University.

This generic “Hatch” name then covers a lot of pepper sizes. These are long peppers, but you can see lengths from 4 to 6 inches all the way up to over a foot in length. The young peppers start green in color and mature into a red hue. The shape and colors of Hatch chilies are very similar to its cousin, the Anaheim pepper which was first grown in California from a Hatch pepper strain.
How hot are Hatch chilies?

Due to the many variants among Hatch chilies, there’s a wide span they cover on the Scoville scale. Some are mild with heat levels similar to the Anaheim or poblano pepper (around 1,000 – 1,500 Scoville heat units); others can meet the heat of a serrano (8,000+ SHU). The mediums are near equal heat to a jalapeño pepper, somewhere in the 2,000 – 4,000 SHU range.
What do they taste like?

The taste is something of legend. People swear by the unique flavor of Hatch chilies – they have a significant following among spicy food fans. The Hatch pepper has an earthier flavor than similar chilies, like the Anaheim. This comes from the mountainous area and rich soil from which they are grown. When roasted, Hatch chilies take on a buttery-like flavor which is well-loved. In fact, the buttery smoky smell and taste of roasting Hatch chilies is something that people come far and wide to experience.

Hatch chilies can be eaten raw, but due to their thick skin, meaty walls and short growing season (we’ll get into that), they are often roasted. Plus due to their size, they make excellent stuffing peppers. They are a great option for chili rellenos.

To see the full comparative list of hot peppers, go to: https://www.pepperscale.com/hot-pepper-list/

KY.........