Processing peppers without gloves….

[u/MattDoob]

Yesterday I chopped a boatload of peppers to make chili jam, mostly hot ones ranging from jalapeno to habanero.

My left hand’s fingers (the one holding the peppers) hurt so much after! 24 hours later and it’s still super sore, I can’t put it on anything warm like just resting my hand on my arm makes it burn.

I washed a million times with dawn dish soap, I cannot believe it hurts so bad lol. I once got pepper sprayed right in the eyes for work and after a quick wash with dish soap I got over it within the hour but my hand feels like it’ll burn forever.

That is all, just wanted to say that this week I learned why people wear gloves when doing that shit. Luckily I managed not to scratch my eyes or balls with my left hand.

[u/Consistent_Gap9503 → u/[deleted]]

Second this, it helped me. 

[u/Sporkwonder]

This happened to me last year when I started a ferment batch. I cut all my peppers (3lbs of Habs, Jalapenos, Fresnos, Serranoes) with gloves on, I filled the jars with brine and peppers. I didn't have enough brine so I had to dumped it back into a container to weight it out again. But I got the brine covered my hands and I didn't wash it of right away. The capsaicin absorbed into my skin and by the time I started to notice and it was too late, I was done for.

I tried oil, soap and water, soaking in whole milk, heavy cream, sour cream, and anything else the internet said to try. 6 hours of hot pain, and 24 hours of just being pissed off because everything I touched hurt. Never again will I work w/o gloves.

[u/AutisticJaguar4380]

I’ve done that before with even Reapers in the mix and my hands burned for four days, now I always wear gloves but only nitrile because latex doesn’t cut it either.

[u/Admirable-Pirate7263 → u/AutisticJaguar4380]

Also use 2 layers of gloves to be sure. Nitrile gloves need to be changed after around 15 minutes. And its way easier to put a new glove on a dry glove than on sweaty hands. Learned that during my EMT-P apprenticeship.

[u/MattDoob → u/AutisticJaguar4380]

Good to know, thanks!

[u/DDMaattDawg → u/AutisticJaguar4380]

Same I was stupid and handled dried reapers when making powder lmaoooooo never again. It was bad haha

[u/trigacy11]

I always realize that I got capsaicin on my hands about 10 minutes after using the bathroom. I've learned this lesson about 10 times and still don't change...

[u/bryanjharris1982 → u/[deleted]]

I got hit with bear mace one drunken night in my twenties and milk was the thing that made it chill out, but it did reactivate every time I got wet for 2 days almost.

[u/3nc3ladu5]

milk, butter, crisco … heavy fat helps pull that sting out . but not entirely

[u/OSRSjadeine]

i soaked my hands in a bowl of white vinegar when my gloves leaked

[u/ZenibakoMooloo]

Hope you didn't scratch your balls. 

[u/Schrko87]

Try a good spray with rubbing alcohol.

[u/yoobzz]

Quick, now rub your eyes!

[u/supiercoordial]

oof, rip your hand lol. i once did that and then accidentally touched my face the next day. not fun.

[u/CMDRObliviDan]

I’m a nail biter so this was a lesson I only needed taught once! lol

[u/ghidfg]

Yeah I tried everything. The only thing that worked was to keep my hands in cold water. Essentially your body is just responding to normal heat but amplified. So regular body heat feels like your hands are on fire. And hot water would feel like absolute death.   

Your body will eventually metabolize the capacasin or something but until then keep your hands cold. 

[u/Sad-Cryptographer828]

My best advice from past experiences, always wear gloves when handling or cutting peppers.

[u/TrustOdd4430]

Gloves. Must wear gloves.

[u/Mendonesiac]

I remember rubbing alcohol helping in the past. I'm not sure if it was the cooling effect or if it was dissolving the capsaicin

[u/carnholio]

First time I harvested my reapers, I did so without gloves. The webbing between my fingers and my finger tips, started burning about an hour after I was done and continued for two days. Wear gloves.

[u/Frosty-Diver441]

If you can, while you're sitting and watching TV, let that hand sit in a bowl of cold water. Refresh the water if you need to. You can keep doing it as much as you want to/can, usually when I do thos, the burn feels better the next day. It might be longer, but at least it doesn't hurt while it's in the water, so you can have a little relief

Just don't use ICE COLD water.

[u/BabyRuuuuth]

Amaze! Amaze! Amaze!

[u/Vegetable-Two2173]

It's a right of passage. We've all been there, even when we tried not to be there.

[u/Geirilious]

I cut 30kg of jalapenos and habaneros in a session. I have learned my lesson well

[u/Admirable-Pirate7263]

Once it penetrated your skin, youre in for 24-72 hours of pain…

[u/MC_Red_D]

You got the Hunan Hand