I have been cutting up jalapenos for years and years and never had a problem. I had heard on the Food Network that you are supposed to wear gloves to cut them up, but since I hadn't experienced a problem without the gloves I just figured that my hands weren't that sensitive.Then one day I cut up about 40 jalapenos to make Stuffed Jalapenos (yum!). That was about a year ago. I ended up being miserable for about two days. My hands were burning terribly and every other part of my body that I had touched before I realized what was going on, burned too....for TWO DAYS! I searched the internet for remedies and all I found were things like this.
During the two days of burning skin, I learned many things about jalapeno injury:
1. Wear gloves if you plan to cut up large amounts of jalapenos.
2. If you don't wear gloves and end up with burning skin, DO NOT scrub your hands with soap trying to get the jalapeno oils off. This only opens up tiny cracks in your skin and makes the burn worse.
3. If you are experiencing burn from jalapeno cutting, keep your hands away from all other body parts for at least two days!
4. There are no sure fire remedies for this problem as far as I can tell.
5. Editing to add this for those who will find this post looking for relief. Dipping my hands in corn starch seemed to help a little. Since corn starch soaks up oil maybe?
Since I am the slow to learn type, I figured that I had only ended up with burning skin the one time because of the amount of peppers involved. So tonight we had Sour Cream & Salsa Chicken (cooked in the slow cooker all day), Mexican Rice, and Calabacitas. Included in the ingredients of Calabacitas are, of course, jalapenos. There is only one jalapeno required for making this dish, so no problem, right?
Actually my cutting up the single jalapeno probably wouldn't have been an issue had I not decided to go swimming tonight. I never thought about it, but apparently being in the water and the skin softening up causes the oils to penetrate your skin and causes BURNING.
This time I learned:
1. Wear gloves when cutting even one jalapeno.
2. If you don't wear gloves, definitely DO NOT go swimming after cutting jalapenos.
7 comments:
You know I am really not here to comment about the jalapenos, although it is riveting info. I just wanted to tell you what a joy it is to see how much you've grown. Those first timid posts to someone who has taken up blogging with gusto. I do not recognize you as the Suzanne I met many months ago. You are amazing.
Sheryl
Awww, you are so sweet Sheryl!
i totally learned this exact lesson a few weeks ago... it was DAYS before i could even rub my face without CURSING my non glove use.
ugh.
I've always had a love/hate relationship with jalapenos. Although I love them, they can be dangerous for me!! Haven't experienced hands burning like you describe, but you can be sure I'll wear gloves the next time I handle them!
Hope your hands are happy now and feeling nice and cool.
I don't know why this made me think about the time I handled poison ivy (sort of unknowingly.) I thought it wouldn't hurt me because as a kid I had romped through it.
Wrong! Apparently our body chemistry changes. Sorry about your hands.
That is so funny....Ethyl! I guess I am rubbing off on you... Luckily, we do not eat very many hot dishes around here....cuz i hate to wear gloves :o}
Tracy "Lucy"
Oh, I'm so sorry! My eyes are watering in sympathy!
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