How do you know which Hatch Chile to pick

Hatch Chile season is a lot like Christmas. You’ve been waiting all year, and once it arrives, you get a little anxious and intense. Instead of opening presents, your new obsession becomes creating all the Hatch dishes you can...and then some!  What, there's nothing wrong with that!

But, before you get in too deep, make this the year that you step up your Hatch Chile game...don't settle for any old chile.  Make sure you're picking the perfect pepper this year.  One that your family will really appreciate.  In order to do so, any great culinary Hatch masterpiece begins with choosing the right chiles. We’ve got how to find the perfect pepper down to four easy steps:

1st - Look for a bright green color – the brighter, the better.  Note: As the pepper ripens, it will start to turn red

2nd - Check the shape – the ideal pepper is symmetrical.

3rd - Feel it! The skin should be smooth, and it should be firm when you give it a slight squeeze. Don’t worry. With every other Hatch Head doing what you’re doing, you won’t look too strange.

4th - Lastly, place your pepper in your palm. It should be a bit heavy for its size. It is carrying all that flavor, after all!

Now that you know how to pick the perfect pepper, turn them into amazing Hatch dishes. For some of the best Hatch Chile Recipes you couldn't ever think of on your own, click here

Also, if you have a extra grand to spend this Labor Day, you don't want to miss the Hatch Chile Festival in New Mexico.  It starts on Aug. 29th and goes through the 30th.  If you're a foodie at all, this needs to be on your "foodie bucket list."  See you there!