toxic hab fumes!

13 years ago

I usually add fresh minced habs to a pot of chili. Never had a problem,just a nice spicy aroma. This time I tried to carmelize them in a frying pan along with onions for a different flavor. Don't try this! Within a couple minutes I was coughing. My girlfriend came home a couple hours later and she started coughing within minutes of entering the house. Neither of us could sleep that night. Even our cats were coughing! OOPS!

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Comments (13)

shoontok
13 years ago
hahahaha, cmon? I know the Hab fumes could be bad. But hours later? Them be some wicked habs i guess! Got any seeds to spare? lol

My Habs have been to known to make my hands burn the following day once i start construction work and pressure on my hands and sweat in my gloves gets the oils going again. And i have touched the tip of 5th limb when urinating quite a few times and burns for maybe a half hour or so. No, i dont wear gloves when dicing habs, and probably never will, im hoping ill just get used to the pain gradually.

Maybe the combination of Hab an onion is toxic gas mix, lol. I know onions are known for making a grown man cry, add the heat of a hab, annnnnnnddddddd toxicity, lol.

Im gonnA TRY THIS TOMMOROW ;)

Jim
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muskymojo
Original Author
13 years ago
Yes, I agree it usually isn't a big deal. I cook with habs very often. It was only when I put them in a frying pan that I had that happen. Surprised the heck out of me. And yes they are pretty wicked carribean looking red habs. Not sure exactly what I got. Have lots of seeds too. Fry yours up over high heat and take a few wiffs. Let me know how that works for you!
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plantslayer
13 years ago
When I was a young lad my brother and I put some orange habaneros from my father's garden into a food dehydrator, and it created this horrible miasma that stayed in the house for over 24 hours. It wasn't the heat so much as the strong habanero smell that I could not stand. For many years I was not too keen on Habs, although I've eaten them since. :)
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chilemilio
13 years ago
hehehe.. this happens to us all the time. my girlfriend keeps pleading with me to stop with the seared chile fumes... but I just can't help it sometimes. If you want the hot chile oils to be in the base of your sauce, you need to throw them in early. The worst was definitely a lemmongrass chile chicken dish we made with some bhuts and scorpions. Those fumes were so vicious, my whole face started feeling that hot tingly-ness as I tried to get as indirect of a whiff as possible.
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sandy0225
13 years ago
I dried some habaneros in the food dehydrator once. I did fine with that. But then I decided to put them in the blender and make powder out of them. I took the lid off the blender too soon before the dust had settled and had what's best described as a really bad asthma attack. Couldn't even breathe for coughing for about 30 minutes after going outside.
Ever since then, I've been really sensitive to hot pepper fumes, even rinsing cut jalapenos in warm water in the sink will set me off.
The worst part is I love habaneros and make lots of hot sauce with them, I'm trying to get it cleared here with the board of health, permits and such to make it commercially and sell it at the farmers market. But I just have to be careful for the fumes still affect me!
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fred_d
11 years ago
Try moving your pepper operation outdoors.Set up a table with acess to an electric outlet.You can fry,blend,dehydrate etc.Just dont get downwind of the fumes.
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habjolokia z 6b/7
11 years ago
I made a similar mistake grilled Bhuts brought in to blend in the blender and yes my family was coughing for a few hours. For me about 30 min and I was ok. Doors and windows open. Now I do as Fred d posted its all made outside.
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peppernovice
11 years ago
@Sandy0225 or anyone who has a recipe. I'm trying to get some good recipes....care to share your's? My wife loves Texas Pete, but would like a hotter version. I hope to make that happen this year!
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SgtPepper
11 years ago
No doubt about it. Doing a stir fry with very hot peppers produces an lung irritating gas. Even the lower level hot peppers like bird-eye chillies can have the same effect. The idea is to stir fry them at a lower heat or start the meat and other veggies first and then introduce them into the stir fry.
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scotty66
11 years ago
peppernovice - I have been wanting to make Sriracha sauce, but I'm nervous about the whole fermentation thing.

I especially want to try it with some super hots (bhut, naga, scorpion...)

Here is a link that might be useful: How to Make Sriracha from Scratch
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tsheets
11 years ago
How random is this thread from nearly 2 years ago! LOL

Anyway, I agree, scotty66 - that open fermentation freaks me out. Read the comments and they talk about mold and scraping it off. It's just hard for me to accept that. Those spores have to be all through the peppers and the bloom is just on the top where the air is. I'm probably just afraid of the unknown / lack of understanding of the whole process and what is growing / floating around the air in my kitchen, but, I'm ok with that. :-)
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peppernovice
11 years ago
Thanks scotty66!
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DMForcier
11 years ago
Never buy a house without - or a way to add - an external kitchen exhaust.

We had to go up through the ceiling joists (sistering) and the roof with an 8" duct, but putting in a real exhaust hood was the best thing I've ever done to a kitchen! I could flash pure capsaicin without tears (not that I actually do that).

Downside is that if you leave the room you can't tell that the food is burning. But that's better than breathing miasma !!
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toxic hab fumes!

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shoontok

muskymojo
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toxic hab fumes!

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muskymojoOriginal Author

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muskymojo
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