The New Mexico chile harvest gets underway in September. Locations like Deming and Hatch are known for their production of chile peppers that are part of Southwestern cuisine. The large, New Mexico style chiles are also part of a culture in the Land of Enchantment. Restaurant goers will often be asked “red or green,” when ordering, meaning, do they want red chile with their food, or green chile.
Hartman Farms in Deming, NM, farms chile and other crops in the region. Green chile harvest in late September was going through its first of probably two picks of chiles from fields on the edge of town.
Developed and bred by Arizona farmer Ed Curry, the Machete variety is popular with growers and buyers as it can yield good tonnage and high quality. Olam Spices, a vertically integrated global producer and supplier of spice ingredients, processes Hartman’s chile peppers from a facility in Deming.
The large, New Mexico style chile peppers are a big part of the state’s culture and cuisine
