Green Chile: Let the Harvest Begin

The green chile harvest has officially started!

The earliest pepper pods began being gleaned from Doña Ana County fields,  a process that will last through October.

In general, some growers have been pushing up the start of the green chile harvest by starting their crops earlier in the year with transplanted chile seedlings, instead of starting with seeds. Early-maturing chile varieties helps to catch the early end of the sales window for the crop.

In all, some 3,800 acres of green chile were harvested in New Mexico in 2014, accounting for 49 percent of the state’s 7,700-acre chile crop, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture numbers. Red chile, which includes paprika, made up the other half.

Chile acreage has continued declining statewide year to year, according numbers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

This time of year, farmers have said heavy rains can pose a problem because standing water can promote certain plant diseases that are harmful to chile.

In 2014, workers harvested some 1,900 acres of chile in Doña Ana County — nearly 25 percent of the New Mexico crop, according to federal numbers. Luna County grew the most with 2,200 acres harvested — roughly 29 percent of the state crop.

Though some work already has begun, the height of the New Mexico harvest tends to be late August into early September, experts have said.

While some stores sell Mexican-grown green chile year-round, New Mexico-grown green chile should start hitting store shelves soon. And green-chile roasting machines will appear outside storefronts.

*Article was originally published in July 2015, has been updated.