Arizona Chileheads----Local Knowledge Needed

[kentishman]

I'll be visiting Phoenix and Tucson next week. I hope to get my hands on some roasted New Mexico chiles to bring home. They aren't available here in South Carolina. I recall in the past reading that the Albertsons Grocery Stores carry them in the fall.

Any advice on that or other chile-related opportunities I should take advantage of will be appreciated.

Thanks,
Tom

 

[howardsaz9]

hey tom, the local store is Food City here in phx. they have been roasting them for a few weeks on the week ends.( the season is 6-8 weeks) and usually by the case.. which is a bushel bag or 20 lbs.. i think the sell smaller quantities inside the store 2-5 lb bags.
 
albertsons is further north in utah .. in texas the HEB chain does it..
 I will check at my local store and find out when they are roasting them.

 

[kentishman]

Thanks howardsnm1. That's a great help. Is Food City a chain that would have stores in Tucson as well? I'd like to get about 5 lb to bring home. Does anyone know if I can freeze them for later use?

 

[Tim in Tucson]

Thanks howardsnm1. That's a great help. Is Food City a chain that would have stores in Tucson as well? I'd like to get about 5 lb to bring home. Does anyone know if I can freeze them for later use?

Yes, Food City is in Tucson.  There are several here and I shop there often.  You'll find them in the Latino areas, as Food City caters to the Latino Community.  Food City also has lower prices than other chain grocery stores, as the Latino areas are more poor than the other areas in Tucson.  
 
If you get the chance, go to Tohono Chul Park.  Last Saturday they had a semi-annual plant sale and I bought five chiltepin plants that were full of ripe chilies.  I've bought several Chiltepin plants from their retail nursery in the past.  Even though I grow Chiltepin starts, I typically sell my starts to a retailer for resale.  The plants at Tohono Chul are much more mature.  And last year I walked through the park in November and "sampled" a lot of ripe chiltepin peppers and ended up with thousands of seeds from just a couple of handfuls of peppers.  They should be ripe right now, as I live five miles away and my chiltepin plants that I bought there early this year have ripe chiltepins ready to pick.  (P.S:  There are no Food City stores near Tohono Chul, as that area is more of a transplant/Snow Bird area of town).

 

[howardsaz9]

Tom,
Yes you can freeze them and that is exactly what i do. i usually buy a box/case and have them roasted, i wait for them too cool then peel the blistered skin off an place them in smaller portion bags say 4-5 chiles each then refreeze them.
Another trick is to peel them then put them into the blender puree them then put that liquid into silicon ice cube trays.. after the cubes freeze i put them in ziplock freezer bags date and put pepper type..
I use these when i make soup or a marinade.. that portion size works out well.

 

[kentishman]

Thanks guys. That's just the local knowledge I was after. I was planning to get roasted chiles, but from the reading I've done, they have to be kept chilled. I won't be able to do that. My best chance is to buy them on Friday in Tucson, and I'll be flying home on Sunday, arriving home in the evening. Don't think I can do dry ice. So, will they be ruined by the time I get home?

 

[howardsaz9]

No you will be good buy them and keep em frozen in your hotel if possible. the 6-7 hour trip back east should hurt them at all. the issues come up if they are  not frozen and unrefrigerated for more than 12 hours
so if you freeze them you should be good because they will not be fully thawed by the time you get home. once your back home put them in the freezer or use the partially thawed part and refreeze the rest..
The food city  a few miles from me at 20th st and MCDowell rd starts roasting at 11 am till about 5 pm on both sat and sun.
let me know if i can help,.
 
Steven
 
 
Usually if there is a restaurant attached to your hotel or near by the manager will let you store your box in his freezer for cheap.. 5 bucks is what i paid overnight, picked them up after breakfast and got on the plane.