Suggested uses

Basic prep

Storage & handling

Store in a cool, dry place.

Ingredients

Organic New Mexico chiles.

Organic Red New Mexico Chile Powder is made by grinding both the seeds and pods of whole, mature red New Mexico chiles. New Mexico chiles are also known as California chiles, Magdalena chiles, chile Colorado or chile seco del norte.

With their quintessential chile shape (spoon-shaped elongated pods), New Mexico Chiles are often used for stringing "ristras," an arrangement for drying pepper pods by threading them onto a long string. While decorative, ristras originated as an efficient way to dry fresh chiles for later use.

Part of the Capsicum family, this broad species of peppers has been part of the human diet in the Americas since at least 7500 BC. While they are now staples in many cuisines, they were not introduced to Europe and Asia until the late 1400s when they were brought to Spain and quickly traded for their variety and as a cheaper alternative to the pricey peppercorns. Now, regional influence and cultivation has created wide variety of variations that are unique to specific cultures.

The cultivation of this specific breed of peppers began in the U.S. in 1915. New Mexico Chiles (as their name implies) are cultivated throughout the southwest states especially New Mexico. They are also widely grown in California (including the areas around Anaheim, source of yet another name for these peppers) and throughout Texas where fields of these agricultural treasures stretch north and south along the Rio Grande River, thriving in the hot days and cool nights the region provides.

New Mexico Chiles start off deep green but gradually turn red as they mature. The fully ripe, red New Mexico chiles used to make this chile powder generally have a bit more heat.

The varieties grown in New Mexico tend to be slightly hotter than those grown elsewhere in the U.S.