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Chile Peppers’ Heat

To tame the heat of a chile pepper, you’ll need to do a little trimming.

To tame the heat in a chile pepper, you’ll need to do a little trimming.

Most of the heat in a chile pepper resides in the ribs and seeds. To temper that heat, just cut it open, pull out and discard the core and seeds, and cut away and discard the ribs. For maximum burn, leave the seeds and ribs intact. When working with hot peppers, it's a good idea to wear rubber gloves and to wash your knife and cutting board as soon as you're done.

TAMING THE HEAT

Cut off the top of the chile, discard the core and seeds, and cut a slit down the side. Open the chile and press it flat on a cutting board. Keeping the knife parallel to the cutting surface, gently trim off the white ribs.

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