Some people actually say they do not get heat burns or hurt their hands when they wash pepper but some of us are not that lucky. Nigerian foods are known to be quite spicy and we add chili pepper to almost every recipe.
Whether you are just cooking for one, a family or for a party, washing pepper and tatase can be ‘hell’ and sometimes we have no choice but to dig our hands into the water containing the pepper and get it ready for blending or cutting. Hot peppers contain a natural oil called Capsaicin which causes the burning feeling that does not go off easily until it is dissolved. A temporary fix may be to use ice bags on your hands or wash with soap and water but here we will list the quick fixes tried and tested by several people
It is better to put on gloves to protect your hands for the pepper burns but just in case you forgot the gloves, here are some steps that can get you fast relief depending on what you have available at home:
- Use Diary: Soak your hands in diary like milk or yoghurt until it cools down
- Use Alcohol - Wash your hands with alcohol or vodka to help dissolve the pepper oil
- Use Baking Soda Paste - Make a thick paste of baking soda and water and apply it directly to your hands. Leave it on until it dries before washing off.
- Use Dish soap: dish soap is known to do a better job at dissolving the oil than regular hand soap. Wash your hands with dish washing soap to get relief
- Use Lime juice and Salt: A mixture of lime juice and salt can help neutralize the effect of the pepper oil
Once again ‘Prevention is better than cure’ so put on your non-powdered gloves or tie a plastic bag around your hands and save yourself the torture
Sources: The kitchn, Med-Health, Pepperscale