How to Mince Jalapeno Peppers
Many Mexican recipes call for minced jalapeños. If you're fairly new to cooking, you may be unsure how to mince anything, let alone peppers. Luckily, this is one of the easiest knife skills you can learn. All you need to do is follow a few easy steps. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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1
Slip on food-safe gloves. They will protect not only your skin, but your eyes as well, because it can be easy to forget to wash your hands after handling jalapeño peppers. If you happen to rub your eyes, the juices from the pepper can make your eyes burn. Play it safe and buy some food-safe gloves.
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2
Wash the pepper to remove any dirt from the outside.
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3
Cut off the stem end, using your chef's knife.
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4
Cut the pepper in half, from stem end to tip. This will expose the seeds and make them easier to remove.
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5
Remove the seeds. Use the spoon to scrape the pepper halves so that you remove the seeds and ribs. This is where most of the heat is. Removing the seeds and ribs also makes it easier to mince the pepper.
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6
Julienne each half. Place each half of the pepper with the outside of the jalapeño facing the cutting surface. Then use your chef's knife to cut each half into thin strips.
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7
Cut the strips into cubes. Be sure to cut the cubes as small as possible. This will take some practice, but it gets easier each time.
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Tips & Warnings
If you don't have gloves, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after mincing the pepper.
When holding foods for cutting, always keep your fingertips curled inwards.
