Fall is right around the corner. I know this because Hatch chiles are here. Last year, I didn’t buy them in time. I kept putting it off and missed the two-month window between August and September. No Hatch chile con carne for us. Boo!
Not this year.
Jeff bought five pounds for me on Saturday, and on Sunday morning, it was all business in my kitchen. I started the day off with my coffee, of course, and then jumped right into roasting, packaging, and freezing the chile.
It sounds like a lot, but it really isn’t. Roasting chiles, or any type of pepper really, is simple. Just line a cooking sheet with some foil (or not), and roast the chiles at 450 degrees for about 40 minutes, turning halfway through so they cook on all sides.
They are ready when they’ve started to blister a bit. You’ll also know they are close to ready when your house begins to smell amazing. 
Don’t worry if the chiles look too blackened. You’ll take the papery skins off, as well as the stem and seeds. I didn’t use gloves this time, but it is good practice.
I left a few seeds in because they add the heat. 
Once I removed the seeds, stem, and skin, I chopped them up, and bagged them. I use about six to seven chiles per quart bag. The five pounds of fresh chiles came to about four baggies, each weighing anywhere between five and seven ounces. I say “about” because one serving went straight into making Hatch chile con carne that same day.
I placed those baggies on a cookie sheet and then placed them in the freezer.
Just that little bit of well-timed effort has ensured that I have great tasting Hatch chiles on hand when I need it for Hatch chile con carne and salsa. ¡Bien hecho!
So I was out of town when the Hatch chile was available at my local Raley’s. Returned too late last night to go buy my supply for the year. However, it was the first thing I did this morning. The chiles were all in a big pile so I couldn’t tell which was mild or spicy, neither could the produce clerk. So, I just picked out 2 lbs and hoped for the best. I like the mild chile. My next trip was to my local Safeway, since I knew they were ,also, going to offer Hatch chile. The produce guy broke one open and tasted it. “A little spicy” he said. So, I bought 2 lbs. My husband just finished roasting them on the gas grill. I don’t peel them or chop. I just package them in gallon freezer bags, label the date and level of “heat”, spicy or mild. Needless, to say I am in good shape for my Chile con Carne and eggs for my winder breakfast. Note: I tasted one from each batch to make sure they were labeled correctly.
My chiles were on the mild side, too. What is up with the crop this year? It still has flavor, but I really like the zing of the spicy.