GARDEN CAPSULE
The challenge: You harvested a bounty of jalapeño peppers, but after you chopped them to make your first batch of salsa, your hands, eyes and nostrils felt as if they were on fire. The pain lasted several hours.
The solution: Hot peppers contain the chemical capsaicin, which causes the burning sensation. It’s easier to prevent the pain than to cure it: wear gloves and refrain from wiping your face until you finish the job, remove the gloves, and wash your hands thoroughly.
If you’re already in pain, wash your hands in vegetable oil, dish soap or rubbing alcohol. Or try soaking your hands in cold whole milk, or making a paste of water and baking soda, spread it on and let it dry before washing it off. Never wash with hot water, which can make the pain worse. Pluses: Not all people are equally affected by capsaicin; maybe someone in your family is less sensitive and would be willing to make the salsa. Salsa, enchiladas and other dishes you can make with chiles are very tasty, worth taking the needed precautions to process them.
Minuses: Capsaicin is not soluble in water, so it’s hard to wash it off your skin. It’s also nearly impossible to remove from contact lenses; you’ll probably have to throw them away.
Sources: For more information on growing and processing chiles, go to New Mexico State University’s Chile Pepper Institute at cpi.nmsu.edu/.