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January 13, 2009
Pepper Relief
When using fresh or dried chili peppers, wear gloves to protect your hands because the oils, capsaicin*, in the peppers can cause severe burns. Don't touch your face or eyes. If chilies do come in contact with your bare hands, wash thoroughly with soapy water. When grinding dried chilies, beware of the chili dust in the air, which will irritate eyes and throats.
*Capsaicin is the heat factor in chilies that is used medically to produce deep-heating rubs for treating sports injuries and arthritic therapies.
If you have a problem with ulcers or stomach acids: 1) don't mix your peppers with liquor, caffeine, nicotine, aspirin, or emotion, and 2) eat fat beforehand--cheese or cream especially.
If you have a problem with ulcers or stomach acids and refuse to give up your cigarettes and margaritas or refuse to stop worrying about your kids/mate/lover: 1) eat LOTS of cheese, 2) drink lots of cream, and 3) hope for the best.
If you're too stubborn to wear rubber gloves when you're cutting chiles and then justifiably worry about rubbing your eyes or performing other bodily functions: And this goes double for people who wear contact lenses and have to take them out at some point. WELL, there really IS a bonafide solution here--and I do mean solution. Just get yourself a little bowl of clorox (bleach), diluted 5 parts water to 1 part bleach, and so long as you dip your fingers in from time to time you've got the problem licked. Why? Capsaicin compound is not soluble in water, but chlorine or ammonia turns it into a salt, which IS soluble in water. Please be advised, though, you should never soak your hands in this solution--that will compound the problem and cause burns. Just dip the fingers quickly. Alternatively, one reader advises that you can also protect your hands by coating them lightly with vegetable oil as a barrier--not as good as rubber gloves, but the same principle.
Posted by Kelli Little at January 13, 2009 06:59 PM