Chile roasting season approaches

Albertson’s Market Pharmacy and others are getting ready for the green chile roasting season in Rio Rancho.

After Senate Bill 188 was signed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in March, the state aroma will live up to its legally inclined expectation starting at the end of July.

“Our produce experts don’t wear capes, but they’re pretty much Hatch Chile heroes. Not only do they search far and wide for chiles bursting with flavor, they’re also an authority on everything from picking to prepping,” Albertson’s said in reference to Hatch Green Chile.

People can get peppers almost anywhere. Most recommend the Hatch Green Chile Store, but you can also find it at your local Rio Rancho and Bernalillo Albertsons locations. They offer it chopped or whole, and various heat levels are available at the Hatch store. At Albertsons, a box of chile is generally cheaper, plus an extra charge if customers want it roasted. Each box at Albertson’s is about 25 pounds of chile peppers.

Starting July 31, Albertson’s will roast New Mexico’s delicacy in front of its stores on weekends.

For people who won’t use all that chile in one day, it can be frozen and kept for months. Albertsons also offers smaller amounts.

Several local restaurants have incorporated green chile into their menus as well if people don’t feel like roasting it themselves.

Here is a list of local restaurants where green chile is a permanent menu item:

• Turtle Mountain Brewing Co.
• Cafe Bella Coffee
• Casa de Benavidez
• Fuego 505
• Abuelita’s New Mexican Restaurant
• Lupe’s Antojitos
• The Range Cafe

Hatch, New Mexico, will have its annual festival of green chile Sept. 2-3.

To learn more on the origin of Hatch chile, visit hatch-green-chile.com.