I had a interesting evening yesterday :-) While making salsa I proceeded to cut and de-seed a jalapeno. As I soon learned, you should do this only with gloves!!!! I know! When I was at Winco picking up the jalapenos I didn't touch anything but the stem b/c I just thought I remembered something about it being harmful to get the oils on your skin. Yes, it is very harmful!!
Anyway, I rinsed my hands on and off throughout the salsa making process so I didn't notice anything right away. Right as I was finishing, my nose started to sting on one side and it just got worse! It got so bad I thought I was going to scream (who would have thought a person would end up with jalapeno oils in the nose). Thank goodness for google! I found a couple remedies from other people who were as silly as me. So, I walked around with toothpaste around and in my nose for a few hours and that remedy was amazing! My hands didn't really hurt but they were still really hot when I went to bed. It was an interesting evening but I survived!
Lesson: WEAR GLOVES WHEN CUTTING JALAPENOS!!!!
If you forget, LATHER WITH TOOTHPASTE TO RID OF THE BURNING!
Hope you all benefit from this :-)
January 5, 2009 at 5:29 PM
Hello Joellen! I should have warned you about the peppers. What is funnier, is that I had the same exact experience way over here in Mexico! It wasn't the same pepper, but one zillion times hotter. My lips, my nose, in between the nose and lips, and my hands stung for atleast 24 hours. What is crazier yet, I a Mexican friend was present while I was cooking and warned me. I still managed to get stung! Guess I didn't take it serious enough but I soon learned. Yesterday I picked up several bags of gloves. It is the seed to be cautious with. Fernando told me to not even touch them. I have been experimenting with multiple kinds of peppers.... all seem very hot here. Jalepenos are likened to candy over here in Mexico! My amigo told me today his mother chews on chilis all the day through. Wow! Oh, and congrags on the little one in the oven! Miss you girlfriend!