 The following is a production of New Mexico State University. The air is filled with the savory aroma of fresh green chili, roasting in backyards, at farmers markets, and grocery store parking lots throughout New Mexico. Chili lovers look forward to this annual ride of summer when the pepper plants first start to sprout in the spring. The roasting means rellenos, enchiladas, and all our other favorites will soon be on our plates. But safety while roasting is very important. Using the proper safety equipment is essential to prevent your employees from being injured while operating a chili roaster. And to protect your customers, the roasting area should be roped off, keeping the public at least 15 feet away from the roaster. Eye protection, a long-sleeved cotton shirt, and leather gloves will protect employees from getting burned while roasting chili. Be sure to use a safety lighter, a propane tank with a safety valve, and a commercial chili roaster when roasting fresh green chili. Using the proper safety equipment will provide the tastiest product for the consumer, while ensuring the safest possible working environment for your employees. You'll also need durable plastic bags, a cardboard box, and an approved commercial propane tank. So let's roast some chili. Before you begin, closely inspect all of your equipment to be sure everything is working properly. Put on your protective gear, a long-sleeved cotton shirt, eye protection, and leather gloves. Also, line the box with a plastic bag. When you're satisfied all the gear is okay, you're ready to fill the tumbler with fresh green chili. Align the tumbler to the proper locking position. Be sure the lock is in place and that the tumbler cannot rotate. When the lock is secured, open the hatch of the tumbler. This door can be very hot, so be careful. Take the fresh green chili and dump it into the barrel. When all the chili is in the barrel, carefully secure the hatch door. At this time, you can unlock the rotating latch on the tumbler. Now you're ready to light the burners. Slowly turn on the safety valve to allow a steady flow of gas to release the burners for easy ignition. Carefully begin to light the burners with the safety lighter. After all the burners are lit, let the roaster begin rotating before you fully open the propane valve. This will keep the chili from getting scorched. Open the valve all the way. Now the fun begins. The chili will need to roast in the tumbler until the skin of the chili pod begins to blister and turn a grayish black color of 50% of the pepper. You don't want to over-roast the chili, so keep a close eye on the roasting process. When the chili is nicely roasted, turn off the propane valve. After the burners are completely out, rotate the tumbler until the hatch door is lined up with the lock and secure the tumbler. Now you can open the hatch and dump the roasted chili into the plastic lined box. Again, be very careful that the chili is not hot. And of course, so is the chili. Seal the bag and the chili roasting is done. All that's left now is to enjoy these tasty green treats. Your New Mexico Department of Agriculture offers a variety of additional supplies to help customers package and store their roasted chili. Contact NMDA and ask for the free chili freezing instructions and delicious chili recipes. This project was funded by the New Mexico Chili Commission and the New Mexico Department of Agriculture and is brought to you by the New Mexico Grown with Tradition Program. The preceding was a production of New Mexico State University. The views and opinions in this program are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of the NMSU Board of Regents.