Green Chile: The New Mexico Obsession

 

Red or Green? A simple question about what type of chile you want on your food, though in New Mexico it has become the official state question. The cultural significance of chile runs deep all through out the state. Not to mention over the years the land of enchantment has grown to be the largest export of green chiles in the United States. But getting back to the question of red or green I would have to say green. That is just for today though because we are going to take a closer look at the green chile in New Mexico. This couldn’t be more fitting as during September, because it is green chile season which also means the air in New Mexico is filled with the potent smell of roasting chiles. 

History of Green Chile

The green chile seems to have a changing origin depending on the source one finds. Some say that they could have possibly been brought to the U.S by Columbus or a Spanish Conquistador. Others say they could have come from Mediterranean islands. Though what we do for certain is that a man named Fabian Garcia was the first to experiment with creating a new variety of pod-type green chile. Garcia was one of the first graduates of the New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts in 1894, now known as New Mexico State University. His variety was first released in 1921 and would go on to become the standard chile for the next 3 decades. Years later, a man named Dr. Roy Nakayama began developing new varieties of chile. Despite having created several varieties during his career the one he is most known for is called NuMex Big Jim which was released in 1975. This new variety was larger than the previous varieties and also had a spicier taste. The growth in size not only meant it had a greater yield per acre but it was less labor-intensive to harvest. Nakayama would go on to retire and Dr. Paul Bosland would take his place. Similar to Nakayama, Bosland would create several varieties during his career; a couple worth noting are the NuMex Conquistador and the NuMex Sweet. The NuMex Conquistador was developed to have all the flavor of chile pepper, just none of the heat, while the NuMex Sweet was developed to produce paprika. Many of the varieties developed by these men are still available to us today along with many more. 

Varieties of Green Chile in Stores Today

• NuMex Big Jim 
• NuMex Conquistador 
•  NuMex Joe E. Parker
• Espanola Improved 
• Sandia 
• New Mexico 6-4 

 

Chile Production

According to a USDA report in 2020 New Mexico produced a total of 68,000 tons of Chile which is an 8% increase from 2019. Not to mention the Chile was valued at 51.9 million dollars in 2020.

Growing Green Chile

 

Planting Green Chile

The prime time to plant green chile seeds in New Mexico is between March 1st and May 1st. Upon planting it is estimated that within 120 days the green crop will be ready for harvest. Following this timeline is vital to growing green chile as it is a warm-season plant and any temperature below 60°F puts the plant at risk of dying. Taking a look at the land requirements to grow green chile farmers have found that alternating crops within that land help to manage pests. An example of this is green chile being planted once then wheat being planted after that on the same land. Finally, it is vital that 2 – 4 weeks before planting the field is irrigated to ensure that the seeds germinate.

Fertilizers 

The primary types of fertilizers used during the production of green chile are nitrogen and phosphorus. To increase seedling growth farmers use phosphorus fertilizers. Looking at nitrogen fertilizer we know it can be applied to the crops up to three times. Though two applications are more common. Nitrogen applied before planting a seed promotes strong seedling growth which also ensures a well branched plant by the first fruit set. Though the application of preplant nitrogen is unnecessary if a soil test shows the soil has 20 ppm nitrate or more.”  

Irrigation

Chile requires 4 to 5 acre-feet of water between the time of planting and harvest. When chile is faced with hot and dry conditions it is more likely that the plants will require irrigation to prevent wilting. When it comes closer to harvest time it is important that the frequency of irrigation is lessened to promote ripening and fruit color. 

Sustainability 

When growing green chile irrigation is used which depending on the method has different percentages of loss. For example, drip irrigation is considered to be the most efficient method because the water used can be applied precisely to reduce waste. Flood irrigation is used in the production of green chile and 50% of the water applied is lost. This is quite concerning because in New Mexico farmers are faced with drought so we can not afford to have wasted water. Another point of concern is that because the water used for irrigation is taken from the Rio Grande river and Elephant Butte Lake, an overuse of water directly affects those environments. 

As previously mentioned nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers are used in growing green chile which poses a risk if used in excessive amounts. Nutrient pollution is when there is a high amount of nitrogen and phosphorus in the air and water. It can make it hard to for aquatic organisms to breathe, and also cause algae blooms. A problem in southwestern New Mexico is nitrate leaching. This occurs when nitrogen fertilizer is applied to plants faster than they need and gets converted to nitrate by soil bacteria. Nitrate can be flushed out of the soil in runoff and get into groundwater. To address this problem farmers should reduce the amount of nitrogen fertilizer.

 

 

 

Consumption

The green chile roasting season is quite exciting in New Mexico it often becomes a family affair. When I was back home we’d go out to buy green chile then family would come over to peel and package it into ziplock bags to be freezed. By doing this we would have green chile to defrost and cook with all year long. Green chiles can be found in a multitude of recipes from enchiladas to ice cream, and lemonade and more often than not it is in roasted form. 

 

Recipe: Green Chile Stew

 

This is a relatively quick and easy meal and is a favorite of mine from back home in New Mexico.

Ingredients

• 2lbs Pork Tenderloin (ground beef can be substituted)
• 2lbs Potatoes
• 2lbs Chopped Green Chile 
• 2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
• 1 Tablespoon Caldo de Tomate
• 1 Tablespoon Caldo de Pollo
• 2.5 Cups Water
• 2.5 Cups Chicken Broth
• Salt to Taste
• Shredded Cheese (Optional)
• Sour Cream (Optional)
• Tortillas or Bread (Highly Recommended)

Instructions

1. To prepare the Pork Tenderloin, cut off any fat and cut into cubes.
2. Peel and chop potatoes into cubes.
3. Heat oil in a frying pan until it dimples. 
4. Brown the pork tenderloin for about 5-7 minutes.
5. Combine potatoes, pork, garlic, half of your green chile, Caldo de Tomate, Caldo de Pollo, water, chicken broth, and salt in a pot.
6. Bring to a slow boil on medium-high and then simmer for 20 minutes.
7. Add the other half of your green chile and then simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
8. Add cheese and sour cream as toppings if you’d like.

Post By: Jade Perea

Works Cited

USDA & New Mexico Department of Agriculture. (2020). 2020 New Mexico Chile Production. USDA. (Report number NA). USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service.  https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/New_Mexico/Publications/Special_Interest_Reports/NM-2020-Chile-Production.pdf.

Avalos, E. (2017, February 21). The spicy story of green chiles. USDA. Retrieved September 18, 2021, from https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2013/07/31/spicy-story-green-chiles.

Bosland, P. W., & Walker, S. (n.d.). Growing Chiles in New Mexico. NMSU. Retrieved September 17, 2021, from https://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_h/H230.pdf.

Bustillos, L. (2021, July 29). A rare glimpse at TRADITIONAL crops grown in New Mexico. USDA. Retrieved September 18, 2021, from https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2019/12/05/rare-glimpse-traditional-crops-grown-new-mexico.

Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.). Nutrient Pollution. EPA. Retrieved September 18, 2021, from https://www.epa.gov/nutrientpollution/issue.

Espiritu, K. (2020, July 14). Green Chile STEW. The Hatch Chile Store. Retrieved September 18, 2021, from https://www.hatch-green-chile.com/blogs/the-hatch-chile-store/hcgreen-chile-stew.

McPhilomy, J. (1991). Borderlands: Men behind the Chile pepper 9 (1991). Library Research Guides. Retrieved September 18, 2021, from https://epcc.libguides.com/c.php?g=754275&p=5406284.

Nierenberg, A. (2019, December 16). Hard times for a hot commodity, the prized New Mexico chile. The New York Times. Retrieved September 18, 2021, from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/16/dining/hatch-chiles-new-mexico.html.

Sharma, P., Shukla, M. K., Sammis, T. W., & Mexal, J. G. (2012, June). Nitrate-nitrogen leaching from three specialty crops of New Mexico under furrow irrigation system. Agricultural Water Management, 109, 78-80

Walker, S. J., & Funk, P. A. (2014, June). Mechanizing Chile Peppers: Challenges and advances in TRANSITIONING harvest of New Mexico’s SIGNATURE CROP. HorTechnology, 24,(3), NA

Why all farms don’t use drip irrigation. Water Footprint Calculator. (2020, April 28). Retrieved September 18, 2021, from https://www.watercalculator.org/footprint/farmers-use-drip-irrigation/.