Re: [CH] Calvin!!!

Calvin Donaghey (gdonaghey@bitstreet.com)
Thu, 15 Apr 1999 08:47:24 -0500 

Marilyn-
Yes, the small pods are Tepins, and are relatively full of seeds, as are most
wild peppers.  I don't know what your past experience is, so I will advise you to
be careful when you open the pods. Use the proper caution and wear rubber gloves
or at least wash your fingers before you rub your eye.
While I'm on the subject....
I often work with many pounds of hot pods, habaneros and others, at a time, and
get a lot of juice on my hands.  Although the skin on my hands is thick, and the
capsaicin doesn't seem to burn them, I can get in a bind when I rub my eye
without thinking about it.
For what it's worth, here is the method I use to get capsaicin off my hands:
  1. If possible (or practical), start with your hands wet and keep them wet
while working, since capsaicin is sparingly soluble in water. (Wouldn't work well
for collecting seeds.)
  2. After you finish cutting up pods or whatever you're doing that gets
capsaicin on your hands, immediately pat dry, then rub on cooking oil or PAM
spray, use an old toothbrush or other soft bristle brush to get in all the places
(like fingernails, knuckle wrinkles, etc.).
  3. Add a good squirt of liquid dish soap (no water, yet) and rub it into the
now oily mess, which will turn white.  Rub in well.
  4. Add a little water, scrub, then more water, scrub and rinse.
  5. "Test" by touching your fingertips to your tongue to see if another
treatment is required.  This helps keep you from 10 minutes of misery caused by
sticking a hot finger in your eye or touching other senitive skin. If you have
babies or small children, use rubber gloves and be ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN all the
capsaicin is off before touching them, as their skin can be very sensitive.  All
chile heads have their own methods, this is just the one I use. Since other new
CHs might find this useful, I'm posting this reply to the LIST.
Calvin

MReese4943@aol.com wrote:

> I did a major clean-out old e-mail and also cleaned out your address...Thanks
> for the pepper powder and the seeds...Are the Texas Tepin seeds inside those
> little pods?
>
> Marilyn