How to prepare hot chillies without burning your hands, eyes or lungs: gloves, cleaning up capsaicin, dealing with chilli burn on skin and in eyes, and extra precautions for superhots.
What you are dealing with¶
Chilli heat comes from capsaicin and related compounds, concentrated in the pale veins (placenta) around the seeds. Capsaicin is an oily compound that dissolves poorly in water, so it clings to skin, knives and boards and is hard to rinse off. It triggers the same nerve receptors that respond to heat, which is why chilli burn feels like a real burn, although it does no heat damage in ordinary kitchen doses.
For mild chillies such as jalapeños most people can manage bare-handed and wash carefully. For habaneros, Scotch bonnets, bird's eyes and especially superhots such as ghost peppers and the carolina-reaper, gloves are strongly recommended. See the-scoville-scale.
Preparing hot chillies¶
- Wear gloves. Disposable nitrile gloves are best; capsaicin can pass through thin latex over time. Change them if torn.
- Use a dedicated board, or a plastic one that goes in the dishwasher. Wooden boards absorb chilli oils.
- Hold the chilli by the stem and cut away from the veins where possible.
- Do not touch your face, eyes, nose, or contact lenses while working, and not for some hours afterwards if you went bare-handed. Chilli on the hands has a reputation for turning up later in unexpected, sensitive places; wash before using the loo.
- Clean up straight away. Wash knife, board and worktop with hot water and plenty of washing-up liquid. Detergent is far more effective than water alone.
Chilli burn on skin¶
Sometimes called "Hunan hand" after a case report in the 1980s, chilli burn on the skin can last for hours.
- Wash with washing-up liquid or soap and cool water, several times. Detergents break up the oil.
- Rub with a little vegetable oil, then wash off with soap. The oil helps dissolve capsaicin, and the soap removes the oil.
- Cool compresses or soaking the hands in cold water, milk or yoghurt can ease the sensation.
- Avoid rubbing with alcohol-based sanitiser on broken skin.
If the skin blisters or the pain is severe or lasts beyond a day, seek medical advice.
Chilli in the eyes¶
⚠️ Eye contact
Do not rub. Flush the eye with plenty of cool, clean running water for at least 10–15 minutes, holding the eyelid open. Remove contact lenses as soon as possible (with clean hands) and do not reuse disposable ones. Most discomfort subsides within an hour. If pain, redness or blurred vision persists, seek medical help. Do not put milk, oil or other liquids in the eye.
Fumes and dust¶
Frying or dry-toasting hot chillies, blending them at high speed, or grinding dried chillies releases capsaicin into the air, which makes everyone in the room cough and sneeze.
- Turn on the extractor fan and open a window.
- Stand back from the pan and do not lean over a blender or grinder when opening it; let the dust settle for a minute first.
- Do not toast large quantities of superhots indoors. Some people wear a mask and goggles when processing them.
- People with asthma should take extra care or leave the room.
Superhots¶
Chillies above roughly one million Scoville heat units deserve extra respect. Gloves and eye protection are sensible, the kitchen should be well ventilated, and a tiny amount goes a long way. Eating large amounts can cause vomiting, severe stomach pain and, rarely, more serious problems; see extreme-chilli-risks and chilli-eating-contests.
Children and pets¶
Keep hot chillies and chilli products well out of reach. A child who has touched a chilli and then rubbed their eyes will be very distressed; follow the eye advice above and wash their hands with soap.
🛟 Mouth on fire
Dairy (milk, yoghurt, lassi) helps most people: the casein protein and fat help carry capsaicin away. Starchy foods like rice and bread also help. Water spreads it around. See cooling-a-dish-thats-too-hot and spice-tolerance.