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2018, 127 comments: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17540401 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17540401 I made this back then! It’s what taught me to u

2018, 127 comments: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17540401 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17540401 I made this back then! It’s what taught me to use gloves with chili. The capsaicin managed to permeate my skin, and for around 3 days my hands would start burning if they only got slightly warm. I had to sleep with my hands slightly raised, so they wouldn’t touch either the mattress or the covers (or my own skin). Nowadays, I always have nitrile gloves for any kind of hot chili recipes ;) I think it was great, I guess I’ll make it again this year.

oakmad 4y ago
Ha me too! I couldn’t believe that burn and how long it lasted. I soaked my hands in milk as placebo one day. We had a kid just after making it and therefore loads of visitors for meals - everyone commented on how good it was and wanted some. I’m gonna make it again.
- IanCal 4y ago
  I made some and loved it too, a few different various things added but one I think was important was some fruit. An apple or some mango or something adds something quite beautiful. I really recommend trying some other lacto-ferments. Green beans are great, as are tomatoes (those on toast are fantastic). I make them with my 3yo as it's just "kinda chop & add ~2% salt".
AmericanChopper 4y ago
Use gloves if you’re ever handling a lot of tamarind as well. It’s more acidic than you might think and it will burn your skin.
- goldenkey 4y ago
  Same thing with lemons, especially if you're in sunlight.
  - pc86 4y ago
    Yeah I had to juice a bunch of lemons a few days ago (1/4 lemon just speared with a fork and juiced into a strainer to catch the seeds, which is quick but also covers basically your entire hand in juice) and I was surprised how almost raw my hands felt after for basically the rest of the day.
  - jwozn 4y ago
    Any citrus, and a few other plants as well: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/lime-juice-and-sunshine-can-make-for-painful-unexpected-sunburn/ https://health.clevelandclinic.org/lime-juice-and-sunshine-c...
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
jwozn 4y ago
I feel dumb, I just now rubbed my eye after eating hot sauce. Senor Lechuga Hot Sauce .003 - very good but very hot and my eye is on fire. Avoid touching sensitive areas if you handle chili peppers or hot sauce, eyes, nose, groin...
- Semaphor 4y ago
  That’s the expected burn. What surprised me, was that the non-sensitive area "hand" would burn, and that it would seep below the top layer of the skin so you can’t even clean it off.
  - drjasonharrison 4y ago
    The nerves are below the skin surface so...
- code_duck 4y ago
  Rubbing your eye after handling peppers is a definitely a problem - I’ve had that issue when peeling roasted green chile. Going to the bathroom can be risky, too. I had a vivid experience with that after chopping up a couple jalapeños at Taco Cabana one time…
esaym 4y ago
Similar story with me. I was at my grandma's house for the holidays and wanted to can a bunch of jalapenos. I'd slice them in half, rub the seeds/guts out with my thumb then slice them into rings and throw them in a jar to boil. Did several pounds... Night came and I couldn't sleep my hands were burning so bad. Touching the sheets or anything would shoot pain. I went and dug through her medicine cabinet and found some tylenol with codeine pills. Took a couple and managed to go to sleep but woke up in the morning and they were still burning. Was like that for 3 days or so.
- code_duck 4y ago
  I’ve had this from peeling roasted green chiles. My hands felt chill-hot and tingly for 2 days. It seems like abrasion cleans it off better than solvents or soap.
  - wingtw 4y ago
    Try washing with milk if it ever happens again, should help.
gilrain 4y ago
“Wash” your hands in oil (capsaicinoids are most soluble in oil), then wash off the oil with strong detergent like dish soap. It doesn’t eliminate the heat, but it reduces it by (to my perception) about 80%. Using gloves annoys me, and this method allows me to skip them.
- Semaphor 4y ago
  I got used to gloves, I use them for handling ground meat as well, especially when making sausages.
richardw 4y ago
Contact lenses. No matter how much I cleaned my hands, put oil on, butter...next morning putting my contact lenses in were 10 second of bleakness.
code_duck 4y ago
Another thing to watch out for is opening the lid to a pot of stewing chiles. I had a friend that made sauce like this often and when she’d open the lid, it was like chemical warfare.
- gbronner 4y ago
  Worse with a blender. You aerosolize them and then stick your face in it. Just like being hit with mace or bear spray
dan_quixote 4y ago
I've also had a similar experience peeling and crushing a massive amount of garlic by hand with no gloves. Not as bas as with chilis, but still caught me by surprise.

oakmad 4y ago

Ha me too! I couldn’t believe that burn and how long it lasted. I soaked my hands in milk as placebo one day. We had a kid just after making it and therefore loads of visitors for meals - everyone commented on how good it was and wanted some. I’m gonna make it again.

IanCal 4y ago
I made some and loved it too, a few different various things added but one I think was important was some fruit. An apple or some mango or something adds something quite beautiful. I really recommend trying some other lacto-ferments. Green beans are great, as are tomatoes (those on toast are fantastic). I make them with my 3yo as it's just "kinda chop & add ~2% salt".

AmericanChopper 4y ago

Use gloves if you’re ever handling a lot of tamarind as well. It’s more acidic than you might think and it will burn your skin.

goldenkey 4y ago
Same thing with lemons, especially if you're in sunlight.
- pc86 4y ago
  Yeah I had to juice a bunch of lemons a few days ago (1/4 lemon just speared with a fork and juiced into a strainer to catch the seeds, which is quick but also covers basically your entire hand in juice) and I was surprised how almost raw my hands felt after for basically the rest of the day.
- jwozn 4y ago
  Any citrus, and a few other plants as well: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/lime-juice-and-sunshine-can-make-for-painful-unexpected-sunburn/ https://health.clevelandclinic.org/lime-juice-and-sunshine-c...
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]

jwozn 4y ago

I feel dumb, I just now rubbed my eye after eating hot sauce. Senor Lechuga Hot Sauce .003 - very good but very hot and my eye is on fire. Avoid touching sensitive areas if you handle chili peppers or hot sauce, eyes, nose, groin...

Semaphor 4y ago
That’s the expected burn. What surprised me, was that the non-sensitive area "hand" would burn, and that it would seep below the top layer of the skin so you can’t even clean it off.
- drjasonharrison 4y ago
  The nerves are below the skin surface so...
code_duck 4y ago
Rubbing your eye after handling peppers is a definitely a problem - I’ve had that issue when peeling roasted green chile. Going to the bathroom can be risky, too. I had a vivid experience with that after chopping up a couple jalapeños at Taco Cabana one time…

esaym 4y ago

Similar story with me. I was at my grandma's house for the holidays and wanted to can a bunch of jalapenos. I'd slice them in half, rub the seeds/guts out with my thumb then slice them into rings and throw them in a jar to boil. Did several pounds... Night came and I couldn't sleep my hands were burning so bad. Touching the sheets or anything would shoot pain. I went and dug through her medicine cabinet and found some tylenol with codeine pills. Took a couple and managed to go to sleep but woke up in the morning and they were still burning. Was like that for 3 days or so.

code_duck 4y ago
I’ve had this from peeling roasted green chiles. My hands felt chill-hot and tingly for 2 days. It seems like abrasion cleans it off better than solvents or soap.
- wingtw 4y ago
  Try washing with milk if it ever happens again, should help.

gilrain 4y ago

“Wash” your hands in oil (capsaicinoids are most soluble in oil), then wash off the oil with strong detergent like dish soap. It doesn’t eliminate the heat, but it reduces it by (to my perception) about 80%. Using gloves annoys me, and this method allows me to skip them.

Semaphor 4y ago
I got used to gloves, I use them for handling ground meat as well, especially when making sausages.

richardw 4y ago

Contact lenses. No matter how much I cleaned my hands, put oil on, butter...next morning putting my contact lenses in were 10 second of bleakness.

code_duck 4y ago

Another thing to watch out for is opening the lid to a pot of stewing chiles. I had a friend that made sauce like this often and when she’d open the lid, it was like chemical warfare.

gbronner 4y ago
Worse with a blender. You aerosolize them and then stick your face in it. Just like being hit with mace or bear spray

dan_quixote 4y ago

I've also had a similar experience peeling and crushing a massive amount of garlic by hand with no gloves. Not as bas as with chilis, but still caught me by surprise.