There’s a good reason why I didn’t post last night. I was busy thinking that I was dying.
It started out innocently enough: Brian and I had spent the day at school and the afternoon running errands, so when we walked in the door around 6 pm we opted for a simple meal. We still had jalapenos from the previous Friday’s CSA pickup (yes, we’re still doing CSA pickups…stay tuned for an update post during the coming week) which we decided to add to some onion and cheese quesadillas and serve with leftover carrot-ginger soup.
As should be the case with quesadillas, cooking went really smoothly. I grated some cheddar cheese and diced an onion and the jalapenos. I folded 4 whole wheat tortillas in half and set them, one by one, into an oiled, hot skillet. I added the cheese, onion and peppers, folded them closed, let them cook for a minute, flipped them and cooked them for a minute more.
I suspected before I even served dinner that the quesadillas were going to be spicy. I could just tell from the smell of the jalapeno peppers. Still, Brian and I enjoy hot food and I’ve never had problems with jalapenos before. Of course, there’s a first time for everything.
Just a few bites in, I was in trouble. I had never experienced this kind of pain from spicy food before. My lips hurt, my tongue hurt and my throat was burning. I flashed back to Cynthia’s pepper burns and wondered if maybe we should head to the hospital. Really, I thought that. It was that miserable. I heaped more plain Chobani yogurt onto my tortilla, but it didn’t help.
“What do I do now?” I asked Brian.
“Have a glass of milk,” he replied. (He had already successfully employed this solution)
So, then I did something I haven’t done probably since middle school. I drank a glass of milk.
It should be noted that I really really dislike the taste of milk. I put about a tablespoon in my tea every morning and that’s the extent to which I drink it. Milk is disgusting. But, in that moment, I had never tasted anything so good. I know dairy products help quell spiciness, but never before had I enjoyed such incredible and instant pain relief. But just moments later, the pain began to return. So, I did the only thing that made sense. I drank another glass of milk and enjoyed another few seconds of bliss.
I rarely throw away food, but there was no way I could finish my quesadillas, no matter how much yogurt I added. I disposed of my remaining quesadilla and a half and consumed a plain tortilla instead. Slowly, the pain subsided. We still have 2 jalapenos in the fridge, but I’m not sure how to use them because there’s no way I’m going through that pain again.
Apparently, CSA jalapeno peppers are a little spicier than supermarket ones.
Did you use the seeds like that? Ouch! The seeds and the ribs are the spiciest and I would have been dead. :-)
Yes, we did. But, in our defense, I usually leave them in and we usually don’t have problems. They’re only jalapenos. However, these really packed some punch.
I made a similar faux pas when I was dating my husband. I found a recipe for “Cajun eggs benedict” and followed the recipe to the letter. They were so hot, I threw mine away after only a few bites (and I used to live in Thailand where they snack on peppers hotter than jalapenos). My husband to be ate the entire plate clean. What a brave man. Might be why I married him. :)
I’m glad I’m not the only one! There’s nothing better than a husband that’ll eat anything you make.
Thanks for stopping by!
I learned the hard way that you most certainly should not rub your eyes or touch your face at all after handling jalapenos with bare hands. owie.
Seriously. I was super careful about that…I was so afraid I’d lose my sight too! :)