Resources for the propagation, harvesting, grading, safe handling, drying, preserving, and recipes containing New Mexico chile.

Upcoming Events

Ask A Master Food Preserver

Date: Mondays, July 14 - December 8, 2025
Time: 6 - 7 PM
Location: Online via Zoom
Hosted By: NMSU Master Food Preserver Online Delivery Program

Held the second Monday of the month, volunteers specializing in freezing, dehydrating, canning, and food safety will be available to answer your questions and share their tips so you can safely and successfully preserve food at home. Register online: Bernalillo CES MFP Classes.

Preserving Red Chile Webinar Series

Date: Tuesdays, Sep. 9, 16, and 23, 2025
Time: 4 - 5:30 PM
Location: Online via Zoom
Deadline: Sep. 5 at 5 PM
Hosted By: Bernalillo and Valencia CES

Join us for this Zoom workshop series dedicated to preserving the rich, bold flavor of New Mexico red chile. Register online: Bernalillo CES MFP Classes.

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2024 Chile Preservation Webinar Series

Date: Tuesdays, October 1 - 22, 2024
Time: 10 - 11 AM
Location: Online via Zoom

The presentations, given by county agents, included the four food preservation techniques for the Native New Mexico chile.

The food preservation techniques include:

• Freezing
• Drying
• Freeze-Drying
• Canning

Please see the Chile Flyer.

Hosted by Sandoval County Extension Service in collaboration with the Santa Fe, Valencia, Bernalillo, and McKinley Counties.

Resources

• Chile Pepper Institute
• National Center for Home Preservation
• News Release: Red Chile Webinar
• Pioneer NMSU Horticulturist Named to National Agricultural Hall of Fame - 08/28/2019, Las Cruces, NM - Fabian Garcia will be the first New Mexican inducted into the National Agricultural Center Hall of Fame, Oct. 8 in Kansas. Garci­a's chile pepper research and development not only influenced agriculture statewide but also nationwide. Read more about Fabian Garcia's accomplishments.

Growing, Harvesting, & Grading Chiles

• Guide H-230: Growing Chiles in New Mexico
• Guide H-240: Growing Chile Peppers in New Mexico Gardens. Pod Types and Cultivars, Climatic Requirements, Soil Preparation, Fertilization, Planting, Mulches and Row Covers, Irrigation, Pest Control, and Harvesting. May 2019 rev.
• Guide H-235: Postharvest Handling of Fresh Chiles. Quality Criteria And Maturity Indices, Harvest And Handling, Cooling And Storage. Nov., 2010.
• Guide H-236: Postharvest Handling of Dehydrated Chiles. Discussion of Crop Management Practices for Improved Quality of Red Chile, Harvest Methods, Processing and Dehydration, and Color Retention during Storage. Jan. 2011.
• Guide H-237: Measuring Chile Pepper Heat. Information on Genetics and Environment, Methods To Determine Chile Pepper Heat, Scoville Organoleptic Test, High-Performance Liquid Chromatography, and even some testing resources. Feb., 2010.
• NMSU Horticulture Publications Fruits, Horticulture - Plant Science, Landscaping, Lawns, Nuts, Ornamentals, Pests, Plant Diseases, and Vegetables

Select Resources on Growing Chiles:

• Guide H-243: Economic Insects of Chile
• Guide H-248: Powdery Mildew on Chile Peppers
• Guide H-249: Chile Pepper Disorders Caused by Environmental Stress
• Guide H-250: Verticillium Wilt of Chile Peppers
• Guide H-257: Red Chile and Paprika Production in New Mexico
• Guide H-258: Field Production of Organic Chile
• Circular 548: Weed Management in Chile
• Circular 549: Chile Pepper Diseases
• Circular 679: The Landrace Chiles of Northern New Mexico. Landrace Chile Pepper Seed, 'Santo Domingo Pueblo,' 'Jemez Pueblo,' 'Escondida,' 'Velarde,' 'Zia Pueblo,' and 'San Felipe Pueblo.' June 2016.

Safely Processing Chiles

Article: NMSU experts offer tips to safely store green chile Green chile is everywhere, fresh from the farmers market or your favorite grocery store. Some stores are selling it by the 25-pound box and offer roasting as well. How do you make sure you can enjoy one of New Mexico's best products year round? September 5, 2016.

Video: How To Preserve Chile From Your Garden Short segment covering how to safely freeze and can fresh chile. August 18, 2001, from the Southwest Yard & Garden Series.

Guide E-308: Canning Green Chile Intended for individuals with a basic understanding of pressure canning procedures, follow these steps to can your green chile. November 2015 revision.

Guide E-311: Freezing Green Chile Includes a section on freezer food safety, as well as instructions for packaging, freezing, and storing.
January 2017 Revision.

Guide E-322: Drying Foods General directions for preparing and drying foods, including instructions to safely make jerky and to dry fruits and vegetables. April 2016 revision.

Guide E-324: Processing Fresh Chile Peppers Covers proper preparation for chilling and storage to prolong chile shelf life. Includes chile selection, blistering, peeling, storage, and commercial roasting precautions. January 2016 Revision.

Chile Recipes

Video: How To Bake A Green Chile Quince Pie Learn how to bake a green chile-quince pie Oct 16, 2009 video posting, from the Southwest Yard & Garden Series.

Guide E-323: Salsa Recipes for Canning CAUTION: Most salsa recipes contain a mixture of low-acid foods, such as onions and chiles. Acid, such as vinegar or lemon juice, must be added to prevent the growth of Clostridium botulinum bacteria. These salsa recipes have been tested to ensure that they contain enough acid to be processed safely in a boiling-water canner. August 2015 rev.

Guide E-326: Home Canned Sweet Spreads Made with Green Chile General Directions and Recipes: Apple Green Chile Butter, Pineapple Green Chile Marmalade, Tomato Green Chile Pineapple Preserves, Raspberry Green Chile Jam, and Sweet and Sour Pork with Tomato Green Chile Pineapple Preserves. June 2015 Rev.

Guide E-327: Using Chile to Make Ristras and Chile Sauce When green chile turns deep red, you too can create your own ristra using these handy instructions. Includes a bonus Red Chile Enchilada Sauce Recipe. July 2015 rev.

Chile Relleno Casserole Non-traditional baked chile relleno recipe that does not require frying.