Cooking with Jalapenos: A Safety Guide

Jalapeno peppers add heat and flavour to a meal, but if you are cooking with them, you need to exercise due care and caution so that you do not end up with a jalapeno injury.

Remove the Seeds

Once you have washed the jalapenos, you should carefully remove all the seeds. Use a sharp knife to remove the seeds and discard them safely. Then work with the flesh of the jalapeno to chop, dice or mince it ready to add to your dish.

Supervise Children

If your children are in the kitchen helping you cook with jalapenos, it is important to carefully supervise them so that they stay safe. Do not let young children chop up or de-seed any of the jalapenos. If they want to help, have them wash the jalapenos before they are de-seeded and then have them hand the jalapenos back to you.

Wear Gloves

It is a good idea to wear gloves while you are handling jalapenos, so that you do not end up with a jalapeno burn. If you have an open sore or cut, wearing gloves will give you added protection while working with jalapenos, as well as helping you to maintain a high level of food hygiene in the kitchen.

Wash Hands After Handling Jalapenos

After you have handled jalapenos, you should thoroughly wash your hands to remove any lingering heat from the peppers that has become embedded underneath your nails or on your fingers. If you do not, and you end up touching your mouth, eyes or some other part of your body, you will soon know it, as you will experience a burning sensation! Treat burns quickly with plenty of cool water and use eye drops to bring instant relief to eyes.

Jalapenos offer varying degrees of heat to a meal, and can help enhance it. But if you are cooking with jalapenos, it is important to be careful so that you do not end up with a jalapeno injury. Start off by removing seeds, supervise children closely and wear gloves when working with jalapenos. Washing your hands after cooking with jalapenos will help you to avoid burns that can occur when you touch your eyes, mouth or some other part of your body.