Ouch! How uncomfortable.

be grateful it wasn't a Carolina Reaper.

We have a friend who doesn't like any heat beyond black pepper. She insists that she doesn't like Chinese food. None of it, won't even go inside the restaurant. Turns out, she ate Chinese food until the day that she did what you did. Chomped down on a hidden hot pepper. That was the end of it for her.

That reminds me of the time we went to a Szechuan restaurant in Melbourne recommended by Anthony Bourdain. One of the dishes we ordered was called "Mouth Watering Chicken".

When it came , it was bite sized pieces of chicken stir fried with an almost equal amount of tiny red chillies. It was good but we renamed it "Eye Watering Chicken", and still use the term for other spicy chicken dishes we eat in other restaurants.

I can relate! I have to be really careful since my mouth is so sensitive to heat. Same with my hands. I can’t even cut up a single jalapeno without gloves.

I'm pretty tolerant of hot spicy foods and enjoy most of them - but occasionally, would not want all consecutive screaming hotly spiced meals. chloebud, I learned my lesson many years ago and never process peppers with bare hands. I've a had a burn that couldn't be seen, no product or combination of products would wash off, that lasted into the next day and longer. My very worst experience was crushing dried chili tepins for a sauce with my fingers though. So, so stupidly touched my eye! I was crying in pain. I'm going to add that I was barely more than a kid when doing that so you don't think I'm a complete fool in the kitchen 😊

Lars, that sounds good, and free - but I've been buying nitrile powder free exam gloves at Costco in bulk. Box lasts forever. They will usually carry size small which is a nice enough fit on my smaller hands that my dexterity isn't compromised. But I'll keep your oil tip in mind too - thanks.

I join the ranks of the many who have learned the hard (hot burning) way — forgetting, then rubbing my eye/s.

I often cook with those small Thai ”bird” chilies. I leave the seeds in, but after washing them I use one of those metal double tined seafood picks to hold the chili, while I slice it or remove the stem with a sharp knife. I mostly finely mince or grind these chilies.

I also cook with the dried red Chinese ” Facing Heaven” chilies, leaving them whole, but reminding diners to set that chili aside as it in not intended to be eaten — they are largely for flavor and color.

I’m sorry for your experience, lucillle.

Also, be careful dealing with contact lenses after cooking with chiles. I learned the hard way.