Ouch! Jalapenos sting!

[Jogren]

I made Corn Pie (June '01) for dinner last night and it called for jalapenos in the fresh tomato salsa. I minced the jalapenos and was then plagued with the oil from the peppers on the fingers. I washed and washed my hands to no avail. Taking off and putting on contacts was quite painful! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/eek.gif

Has anyone else had this problem or do I just have very sensitive skin? Any remedies or preventions out there?

[sneezles]

Some people are more sensitive to jalapeños. The best solution is to wear rubber gloves but if you forget then use fresh lemons or limes and rub them over your hands before washing.

[Jewel]

I've had eczema and sensitive skin all my life, the eczema especially on my hands. I NEVER work with peppers, even sluggy canned Chipotles, without rubber gloves. I don't use the menacing looking Platex living gloves, however, I use a pair I picked up from a Medical Supply store. Don't laugh, but I feel like an ER Doctor every time I chop peppers! They're snug so you can work with knives and food without it being cumbersome.

I've done well so far, no peppers have kicked the bucket on my shift, and my hands have stayed pain free! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif

[sneezles]

Jewel,
Those were the type of gloves I was referring to and you can get them by the box at Sam's. They're used in foodservice all the time (or should be anyway!)

[Jessica]

Yep, I bought a box at Target for a few dollars (I use the latex gloves but some people have allergies).

[HDgirl]

I had an encounter with a few peppers. SO brought home three different kinds from a friend that grows them. I had a shopping bag full. I thought I would freeze them, but take the seeds out first.

Knowing what they could do (very funny BIL story)..and not wearing gloves I set out to be VERY careful. Things were going great until a seed flew into my eye! Ohmigod. My eye got red, my nose ran, my face got red, burn, burn, burn. I called telenurse..they said I had to ride it out...it subsided in about an hour. And wasn't too bad looking back. However, SO is not very good in a crisis situation. (It felt like a crisis at first.)

Now I always wear gloves and maybe eye protection????

[Jogren]

Boy, what fast responses! Sounds like the gloves may be the best solution for me. We don't have a Sam's, but I'm assuming you can buy the gloves at Walgreen's or similar stores. Thanks everyone!

[SandyM]

I'm pretty handy with baggies over my hands. Sure the fingers aren't separated, but with a job needed to be done quickly (as in chopping those hot bad boys), this doesn't work too badly for me.

[Jogren]

Originally posted by HDgirl:
I had an encounter with a few peppers. SO brought home three different kinds from a friend that grows them. I had a shopping bag full. I thought I would freeze them, but take the seeds out first.

Knowing what they could do (very funny BIL story)..and not wearing gloves I set out to be VERY careful. Things were going great until a seed flew into my eye! Ohmigod. My eye got red, my nose ran, my face got red, burn, burn, burn. I called telenurse..they said I had to ride it out...it subsided in about an hour. And wasn't too bad looking back. However, SO is not very good in a crisis situation. (It felt like a crisis at first.)

Now I always wear gloves and maybe eye protection????

Funny you wrote this because last night while mincing a drop of jalapeno juice landed very close to my eye! Sounds like eye protection would be a good prevention http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif

[HDgirl]

I think they sell the gloves at a home improvement store also.

[Ralph]

On many of the cooking shows, they say to never work with chili peppers unless you wear gloves. And, yes, as sneezles said, some people are more sensitive than others.

Not to make light of your plight, I have a hysterical story to share. One weekend that I was on-call several years ago, I was paged at 1AM. It seems the woman was cutting jalapenos and was bothered by the burning pain (why she was doing this at 1 in the morning I'll never know!). She wondered what to do. I asked what she had already tried, and she said she rubbed her hands with Preparation H, but it hadn't helped. (I'm guessing she really paid attention to the ads that recommend that for the burning and itching of ..., and took it literally!) After biting very hard on my tongue, I just suggested some comfort measures, but told her she'd have to ride it out. Nonetheless, I don't recommend YOU try Preparation H!

[sneezles]

Ralph,
Too, too funny!

[valchemist]

I chopped jalapenos last night with no gloves...no problem.

I have chopped chipotles in the past with no gloves and it was a painful experience.

different people have different reactions to different peppers.

[patrice]

My husband was canning jalapeno peppers one summer. I warned him to wear gloves. He was working late into the night. I woke up during the night and he wasn't next to me. I went downstairs and he as lying on the sofa with one hand in a bucket of ice water. The hand that had held the peppers while he sliced was quite swollen. I hope he learned his lesson!

[Grace]

I personally haven't had a problem cutting jalapeno's without gloves - I just make sure not to touch the seeds with my hands - I scrape them out with the knife, but I wanted to add one caveat to the glove thing for those that want to use gloves. Not all gloves are for food preparation. Many of them (and especially the latex ones) are coated in talcum powder and other non-edible things, and aren't appropriate for food prep. Just be sure to check the box to make sure. I think (I'm not 100% sure though) that the plastic ones (as opposed to the latex ones) are the ones meant for food prep. Just be sure and read the box first. Especially if you go to Walgreens or another pharmacy - they'll probably be more likely to carry the ones for medical use rather than food prep.

[Ralph]

Originally posted by Grace:
Many of them (and especially the latex ones) are coated in talcum powder and other non-edible things, and aren't appropriate for food prep. Just be sure to check the box to make sure.

There are more and more manufacturers of powder-free gloves, in part because of that, but moreso because the powder (both inside and outside of the gloves) can be very irritating and drying. Personally, I've always used generic, powder-free "latex exam gloves" that I get from medical suppliers. And I always "wash" my gloved hands before I start cooking.

[laughsandlaughs]

According to many chile websites (I found this out when my hands were on fire late one night) that the best way to neutralize a chile's heat, both in your mouth or on your hands is Dairy! That's why sour cream helps to mellow out a hot salsa and if your hands are on fire, soak them in a bowl of milk.

http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif
e.

[foodiedelite]

Dairy is right on. Take it from a gal who grew up in the SW. There's an enzyme in the milk that breaks down the pepper.

[daner94]

I believe that enzyme is called caseine.

Dana

[gobluem82]

The oil in the seeds is what provides the heat and also stings your eyes. Oil is soluble in alcohol, which also explains why beer (or a margarita!) also helps "put out the fire" much better than ice water would. For the same reason, I would think that putting some rubbing alcohol on your hands, while not the best thing for your hands, would help get rid of the oil. It's good to see that my chemistry degree has some practical use!

[BosunsWife]

I have a pain story to top all regarding the cutting of habaneros. DH was chopping some up to add to some meat we were going to use on nachos. He didn't use gloves, but did wash his hands thoroughly. He then decided to go to the bathroom. I heard a yell that you could have heard for miles if you get my drift! I've also had the horrible experience of getting the oil in my eye. It hurt so bad and then I added insult to injury because I had to take my contact out which by putting fingers in my eye made it hurt all that much more.

We now keep a box of latex gloves in our kitchen.

[laughsandlaughs]

FYI...many people think the heat of the peppers is in the seeds...wrong! It's actually the membranes that attach the peppers and the seeds, so be careful with those! We think it's the seeds because when we have seeds we usually have the membranes too.

Here's a trick I saw on Food TV that may help eliminate some of the finger burn...instead of cutting the pepper right in half, cut off the 4 sides and leave the top with seeds attached (and 4 "corners") intact...you MAY avoid the membranes then.

[Beth]

DH does most of the pepper chopping here, and when he seeds them he usually takes a spoon or knife and scrapes out the seeds and membranes before chopping. The idea is the same as what laughsandlaughs saw on Food TV -- don't touch the inside of the pepper.

What I have read is that both the seeds and membranes are the main source of the heat.

[This message has been edited by Beth (edited 06-08-2001).]