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Question for working with hot peppers

17 years ago

I love spicy food, I make Mexican, Southwestern, and Indian foods on a regular basis. I've chopped up everything from jalapenos to birds eye chiles to make dinners but I've had a small problem when I do so - my throat starts to close up and I have trouble breathing when I cut up any kind of peppers.

I put on gloves, open the window, put on the vent fan but I still bark like a seal if I don't hold my breath the whole time. Last time I made Tom Kha Gai soup with the birds eyes I thought '911' when had to stumble out on the deck and couldn't get a breath. Why can I eat this stuff but I can make it? Is the capsaicin that much stronger? You can only be allergic to a protein, but if you are allergic to that protein then why not in a finished product[food]?

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Comments (7)

CA Kate z9
17 years ago
The fumes are irritating your nose, throat, lungs when you breathe them in. You might try wearing a dampened face mask of some sort when working with them. I made powdered capsaium-type peppers from those that I dried; when pouring into a storage container I had the same reaction as you. I won't make that mistake again.
sands99
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks Westelle, I do have face masks from our plane painting/assembling work I think I'll borrow one before I make the enchiladas for Superbowl. But does anyone else have a hard time making the spicy food but no problem eating it?
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trsinc
17 years ago
I can eat some spicy food! But, every now and then it gets to me when I'm chopping fresh peppers, or boiling dried ones. Not every time - it seems like when my allergies are already inflamed it happens more often. I just try not to breathe and when I have to, I step away and take a breath, then step back.
magothyrivergirl
17 years ago
I have that problem when I saute the pickled jalapeno slices with onion that I use alot just to give a kick to soups, dips, etc. I have no problem eating the dish; sometimes I think I am going to die :)
triciae
17 years ago
I had the problem just about 2 hours ago! Made posole for lunch & was chopping ordinary jalapenos. Whew! My nostrils started to burn like crazy & started coughing. In my case, I know why. During the winter our house is dry as a bone because of the heater. So, my tissues are already dried out allowing the fumes to irritage when otherwise they do not with higher humidity. I was gagging by the time I got those measly jalapenos chopped! :)

/tricia
lindac
17 years ago
When fixing habaneros...I gasp and choke....I hold my face away from the stuff....I have learned to chop them in the cuisinart....but holy cow! opening that thing up...gasp!!
But I love LOVE them!!
Linda C
annie1992
17 years ago
I agree on the Habaneros, LindaC.

I can chop pretty much any of the other peppers, the jalapenos, the cayennes, the serranos, whatever. Those habaneros, though, I get a good lung full of those and it's like tear gas, I swear.

I did also learn that if I were inclinced to dry hot peppers, I should put the dehydrator in the garage or I'd poison every living thing in the house.

Annie

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