Never...

[Veronica]

Scratch your nose after cutting up a jalapeno pepper!

Thom really better appreciate that dressing for fish taco salad tonight!

Veronica

[Giulianna23]

What about scratching your eyes?

[Veronica]

Fortunately it was my nose that was itchy, not my eyes, and apparently I inhaled some of the capsicum because the entrance to my nose was on fire!

Veronica

[roo4]

And here's another useful tip: Take out your contacts BEFORE cutting up the serranos! Do not ask me how I know this.

[zoom-zoom]

My DH once made the mistake of going potty after cutting jalapeños. He *thought* (wrongly) that he'd washed his hands well enough!

[lph]

oh oh ouch... I found out the hard way that even scratching your EAR is a bad idea. I swear, capsicum comes complete with a tiny needle.

A friend of mine taught me a good tip, though. Rub your fingertips liberally with cooking oil first, to saturate the pores or something. I wipe off the excess with just a paper towel afterwards. After I'm done handling the chili or jalapenos I wash my hands well with soap. I think it cuts down on the amount my skin absorbs.

[Veronica]

I put Neutrogena soap in my nose. I don't know why it worked, but it did.

Veronica

[Blueberry]

Ouch! I use gloves whenever I handle them. With contacts, I don't take chances!

[Veronica]

I've washed my hands several times and I just licked some yogurt off my finger. Black cherry yogurt and jalapeno - very "interesting" combination. I hope it wears off by the time I need ta take my contacts out!

Veronica

[snapdragen]

Be careful!!! I stupidly used my thumbnail to scrape out the seeds of a jalapeño pepper - it burned for days.

[OakLeaf]

Pretend it's 80-weight gear oil, without the smell. Hand cleaner designed for the garage takes it right off.

[bmccasland]

Pretend it's 80-weight gear oil, without the smell. Hand cleaner designed for the garage takes it right off.

But you can't use garage hand cleaner in your eyeballs.
I too have learned the lesson. Have also gotten dry potassium permanganate in my eyes, in the field.

[emily_in_nc]

Awww, you guys are lightweights! Try doing any of the above with habaneros, the most common chili peppers we have down here in Belize. Don't ask me how I know this!!

Heat ratings of different kinds of peppers:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scovill...ngs_of_peppers

[OakLeaf]

But you can't use garage hand cleaner in your eyeballs.

But the hand cleaner washes off just fine with soap and water. Then you can put your fingers in your eyeballs all you want.

Try doing any of the above with habaneros, the most common chili peppers we have down here in Belize. ... Heat ratings of different kinds of peppers:

Just like "predicted heart rates" - those are averages over the varieties. The jalapeños I grow in my garden are hotter than grocery store habañeros. The habañeros I grew one year ... I took one bite of a green one early in the season, figuring the weather had been cool so far and it wouldn't be terribly hot. I think my entire face melted. I didn't try that again.

[emily_in_nc]

Just like "predicted heart rates" - those are averages over the varieties. The jalapeños I grow in my garden are hotter than grocery store habañeros. The habañeros I grew one year ... I took one bite of a green one early in the season, figuring the weather had been cool so far and it wouldn't be terribly hot. I think my entire face melted. I didn't try that again.

The jalepenos down here are wimpy, but I've definitely had much hotter ones before. The habaneros down here are HOT HOT HOT! My fingers sting for days after I chop one.

So, I make my DH do it!