It’s official, Hatch chile season is just about here!

What are Hatch chiles?  Hatch chiles, are a special type of green chile that are cultivated in the Hatch Valley region of New Mexico. New Mexico chiles are famous throughout New Mexican cuisine. The chiles are only available once a year, from August to September. That’s a really short season, so get your Hatch chiles while you can!

If you’ve never tasted a Hatch chile before, the best way to describe the taste is spicy, smoky and a little bit sweet.

How do you pick out Hatch chiles? It’s really easy to make sure you get the perfect chile. First you want to make sure the Hatch chile is bright green. Then you look for texture and weight. Your Hatch chiles should be smooth, firm and heavy. It’s that easy!

If you want to stock up on Hatch chiles, they are incredibly freezer friendly. Remove the stems, seeds, and membrane and put them in a freezer bag freeze until you’re ready to use.

Hatch chiles are so popular, there’s even an annual festival dedicated to the Hatch chile. The Hatch Valley Chile Festival takes place in Hatch, New Mexico, September 2nd and 3rd, 2017.

Here are a few things you need to get started…

1) Roasting Hatch Chiles

New to roasting Hatch chiles? Find out the how-to here.

2) Make a Sauce

Here is an AMAZING Hatch Chile chinichurri recipe

3) Cook all the Things!

With Hatch Chiles of course… Click here for our Hatch Chile Recipe Index

4) Find Hatch Chiles near you!

Here is a map of the US with as many hatch chile roasting locations as we could possible find!