The Burning Sensation is Gone, Best Part of the Day!

This is the culprit, homemade salsa

It's been two days and I am glad to report the burning sensation in my thumb is gone. Note to self: NEVER use thumb to dig out the membrane and seeds from a jalapeno.

A friend of mine was having a BBQ and I said I would bring the salsa. Being "fancy" as my niece calls me, I decided I would make the salsa. My dad had just re-emailed a recipe my Aunt had sent out years ago and the instructions seemed pretty easy. That should have been my first clue it wasn't going to go well.

I printed off the ingredients, went to the store and bought what was needed. The ingredients were vague though, 9 tomatoes, 2 jalapenos, etc. How big? What if they are huge or tiny? How much is a 1/3 of a cup of bell pepper, is that one or two peppers? I hate cooking.

I got home with the ingredients, read the instructions and immediately decided I needed more direction and called my dad. Here are the instructions.

*score the tomato peel, boil water, dip tomato in boiling water for 20-30 seconds, remove and immediately dip in a bowl of very cold water. The skin of the tomato shrinks up and the peel is then easily removed.

 

Simmer 45 minutes.

 

Eat! (makes about 1 1/4 quarts...but it's okay to double the recipe!)

The conversation went something like this:

Me: "Dad, I'm making the salsa from the recipe you emailed. Do you just put it all in a pot and let it simmer? What about the tomatoes, do I just put them in whole?"

Dad: "Uh, what does it say?"

Me: "It says to boil the tomatoes, then simmer. But do I just put all the ingredients in and simmer? I don't add water? Do I cut up the tomatoes"

Dad: "It's been a long time since we have made it but as I recall we just put it in a pan, no water, and let it simmer for 45 minutes."

About this time I am on the verge of asking again and I hear Bikram in my head say "What did I say? Is my English not clear? Let it SIMMER!" (LOL Good times, flash back from teacher training.) But I ask again anyway.

Me: "ok, so I just put it all in a pan leaving the tomatoes whole and let it simmer?"

Dad: "Margot (He now needs confirmation from another source to convince me.), Carolyn is making the salsa, didn't we just put the ingredients in a pan and let it simmer? We never added water right?"

Mom: "Right, just let it simmer, no water."

Dad: "Yes, just let it simmer. I would say if it looks more like pico maybe mush up the tomatoes or add some water otherwise, no water."

Me: "oookkkkk....I'll just put it all in and let it simmer."

Now why was that so hard? Sheesh..just let it SIMMER!

I cut up everything (even the tomatoes because I am a skeptic and didn't believe the tomatoes would cook down.) and pulled out the membrane and seeds from the bell pepper with my hand and did the same with the jalapeno. Except the jalapeno is smaller so I dug it out with my thumb.

Fast forward....Salsa was great, everyone loved it. My thumb however was on FIRE all night from the jalapeno.

Next day...I go to yoga. OH MY GOSH. My thumb burned the entire time. Every time i put pressure on it, grabbing my foot or clasping my hands, it hurt even more, like someone was piercing my thumb with a needle. Plus, as an added benefit, when I wiped my face and lips, whatever part I touched also started to burn. Nice.

I promptly went home and washed my hands ONE MILLION times.

Next day I take class again. Again my thumb burns. I teach that night and mentioned in class as a little joke...not to use your thumb as a scoop when working with jalapeno's...it makes yoga practice very uncomfortable, among other things. Everyone in class laughed and a few gave me good tips on how to get the oil off my skin.

Today, three days later, my thumb thankfully has stopped burning.

Lesson: Don't ask dumb questions, just trust the process. Use the proper tools for the job. When you don't do the first two, don't touch your face in Bikram Yoga.

Here is the recipe if any of you are brave enough to make it.

INGREDIENTS:

 

9 tomatoes - peeled*

3/4 cup green bell pepper - minced

3/4 cup onion - minced

2 jalapeno peppers - minced

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1 generous squirt of lime juice

1 spoon each of oregano, cumin, cilantro

1/2 spoon of garlic

1/2 spoon of salt (or "no salt" substitute)

 

*score the tomato peel, boil water, dip tomato in boiling water for 20-30 seconds, remove and immediately dip in a bowl of very cold water. The skin of the tomato shrinks up and the peel is then easily removed.

 

Simmer 45 minutes.

 

Eat! (makes about 1 1/4 quarts...but it's okay to double the recipe!)