We all enjoy cooking, but we don’t like the fumes it creates, especially when cooking with our beloved spicy peppers. Here’s what to do to prevent fumes.
Who doesn’t love frying up fresh chilis or other spicy pepper to add flavor to a cuisine? We sure do, but we don’t enjoy the fumes that come with the cooking process. When you use an open-air kitchen, you’ll notice fumes being created around you. You’re prompted to open the window as soon as you finish cooking, but it can take a while for any fumes to dissipate. Before we can jump to showing you how to prevent fumes when cooking spicy peppers, let’s find out why these fumes happen.
Why Are There Fumes When I Cook Spicy Peppers?
That’s a good question, and we have a good answer. Spicy peppers contain a compound called capsaicin, which irritates the tongue, causing it to tingle once the pieces of chewed pepper reach the taste buds. It’s common in film and TV for a person’s face to turn red after taking a small bite from a spicy pepper. In reality, your face won’t turn red; however, eating a spicy pepper will irritate your tissues and mucous membrane, causing you to sweat, tear up, and even feel the need to blow your nose. So, how do we decrease fumes when cooking spicy peppers?
Open a Window
As we mentioned above, opening a window is an option. However, if you want to disperse the fumes faster, open the window wide enough to help fumes escape before cooking your hot peppers. While your fumes rise, your open window provides immediate airflow and a better way for fumes to dissipate throughout the kitchen.
Use a Kitchen Range Hood
We all love zesty peppers, but we don’t like the fumes they create, as they do more harm than good. If opening a window right after you cook your peppers isn’t helping dissipate the fumes fast enough, try using a kitchen range hood or an oven fan. The kitchen range hood sucks up foul cooking odors by sending the smells through a tunnel system and releasing them outside.
Try Using a Lid
We often use lids to keep sauces or soup warm, but we can also help combat cooking fumes from spicy peppers by laying the cover on the pan while they cook. When you use a lid, keep it slightly open to allow air to come through, and use your window or oven fan to further improve air circulation.
Try Other Cooking Methods
If you’re looking for another method, try baking or roasting your spicy peppers. These two cooking methods are simple and even help remove the skin of the peppers for recipes like salsa and sauces. If the weather is nice, consider cooking on the grill. The fumes have a difficult time reaching you while cooking outside.
While cooking, it’s important to know how to prevent fumes when cooking spicy peppers. Make sure you get a window and your range hood ready so you can enjoy your meal in a good, healthy environment.
