H-E-B’s Central Market reveals details for return of Hatch chilis with limited-time foods

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H-E-B’s Central Market stores including in Fort Worth have revealed details about their annual “Hatch chili pepper celebration,” including all kinds of seasonal foods coinciding with the harvest of the famed New Mexico crop.

Central Market will hold its 29th annual Hatch chili pepper celebrations Aug. 7-20 with in-store events, cooking classes, products and recipes, along with heaping piles of fresh Hatch chilis in the produce section and in-store roasting. Hatch green peppers, which can range from mild to medium heat, are only available for a few weeks from early August into September , depending on the weather.

A “Hatch Pepper Party” is Aug. 10 from 2-5 p.m. at all Central Market locations, including 4651 West Freeway in Fort Worth.

“Our Central Market partners guarantee you’ll get the best roasted peppers outside of the Hatch Valley, thanks to our crew of dedicated Hatch roasters with more than 150 years of combined experience,” H-E-B said in a statement. “We offer hundreds of Hatch-infused specialty products, from baked goods and cheeses, to sauces, desserts, and more.”

New fresh-food products with Hatch chilis this year include:

• Hatch pepper beer bratwurst: Pork sausage infused with Diffusion, a Hatch chile beer by Manhattan Project Beer Co.
• Smoked Wagyu beef brisket & cheddar Hatch burger: Savory burgers made with WagyuX mixed with brisket, cheddar cheese and diced Hatch peppers.
• Bourbon Hatch chile-marinated chicken breasts and marinated half chickens.
• Dean & Peelers smoked gouda and Hatch green chile smoked sausage: Produced in Floresville, Texas, these smoky beef and pork sausages feature Hatch peppers and creamy Gouda cheese.
• Hatch chicken lasagna
• Hatch tamale casserole, smothered in pesto cream, topped with cotija cheese and garnished with diced roasted Hatch peppers.

• Turkey and Hatch pesto wraps

Other limited-time products at Central Markets include Hatch salsas, caramel corn, pistachios, beef jerky and hot sauces from Los Alamos.

The New Mexico brand Wise Pies has a thin-crust frozen pizzas with Hatch chilis, and a Fort Worth company called Happy Tomato has fresh Hatch salsa that’s like a “garden party in your mouth,” H-E-B says.

In the bakery, deli and cheese sections, you’ll find:

• In-house roasted oak smoked Hatch turkey breast.
• Beehive Cheese Hatch chile curds.
• Chipotle Hatch jack cheese bread.
• Hatch apple pecan crisp.
• Hatch blue corn tortilla cookies.

Central Market’s annual Hatch pepper festival started in 1995 at its Austin store. Each August, the company imports more than 125 tons of peppers from Hatch, New Mexico.

Disclosure: H-E-B is a funder of the Star-Telegram’s Crossroads Lab. The company has no influence over editorial decisions.