Ever wonder why The Fresh Chile Company puts "575" right on the label? Chris is here to explain, and it has everything to do with where our chile comes from. The 575 area code covers southern New Mexico and Hatch itself, not 505, and that little number carries the whole story of the farmers and the community behind every jar. In this video, Chris walks through the harvest with longtime partner Adams Produce and farmer Scott Adams, whose family has been growing Hatch green chile and onions in the valley for five generations.
What Makes This Hatch Chile Different
Chris shows off a jar of Big Jim Hatch Green Chile, a blend picked later in the season as the peppers start to turn from green to red in the field. Big Jim is a medium heat varietal, and like wine grapes, different varietals bring different heat levels. Between mild, medium, hot, and extra hot, from Big Jim to Machete, Sandia, and Matador, The Fresh Chile Company sorts and labels every jar by heat so you actually know what you are getting, instead of the mystery mix a lot of restaurants get from wholesalers.
Harvested, Roasted, and Bottled the Same Day
The chile Chris is holding was picked that same morning, roasted, chopped, cooked, and bottled at the Fresh Chile Company factory. No shortcuts, no long storage, no watered down filler. Chris even compares a jar to what you might find from a big box retailer, thick, meaty, packed with real chile rather than water, with just a little garlic, salt, and lime added for flavor and pH balance.
Look for the Certification
Every jar is gluten free, vegan, paleo friendly, and made with no added sugar or additives, but the detail Chris is proudest of is the official Hatch chile certification on the label. That seal means the chile inside was actually grown and certified in Hatch, New Mexico, by the families who have been farming there for generations. A lot of brands borrow the Hatch name without the chile to back it up. The Fresh Chile Company does it the harder, slower, more expensive way because that is what small batch, high quality, genuinely Hatch grown chile takes.
Look for the 575 on the label, and you will know exactly where your chile came from and exactly who grew it.
Shop 575 Big Jim Hatch Green Chile
About The Fresh Chile Cookin' Cookbook
The Fresh Chile Cookin' Cookbook features recipes shared by our amazing community of Hatch Chile fans. Join the Fresh Chile Cookin' Facebook group to submit your own recipe and be featured in the next edition.