Hatch or Pueblo? Learn the difference between Colorado’s favorite green chiles and where to find them fresh or roasted this season.
Step foot into any farmers market in Colorado between August and October, and you’ll be greeted by the unmistakable—and oh-so-good—aroma of roasting chiles. But what exactly is behind that smell? Hatch green chiles? Pueblo green chiles? Both?
Green chile is a beloved staple in Colorado, especially during the late summer and early fall when fresh peppers are abundant and the roasting season is underway. But not all green chiles are the same.
Here’s the breakdown of the different green chiles you’ll see around Colorado in the upcoming season and where to buy both varieties.
Hatch Green Chile
Many people don’t know this, but “Hatch chile” doesn’t actually refer to a variety of pepper. Instead, it refers geographically to the chiles grown in the Hatch Valley, New Mexico, which includes several different varieties. The area’s soil, climate, and elevation create ideal conditions for growing chile peppers, giving Hatch chiles their distinctive flavor.
Most Hatch chiles are descended from the New Mexico No. 9 chile, an Anaheim-type chile. In fact, the New Mexico No. 9 became the foundation for the chile pepper industry in the American West. While most people are familiar with Hatch chiles in their green stage, if left on the plant to mature, the peppers will eventually turn red. This is why you’ll see both green and red Hatch chiles.
Green Hatch chiles are typically roasted and eaten fresh, while red chiles are often dried and used to make red chile powder, flakes, or ristras. Hatch chiles also range from mild to quite spicy depending on the variety, so the level of heat can vary significantly from one pepper to another.
So, if you see “Hatch” chiles, know that those chiles are grown in New Mexico and then brought fresh into Colorado, where they might be roasted or added to delicious, seasonal foods.
Pueblo Chile
Just like Hatch chile gets its name from the region where it’s grown, Pueblo chile is closely tied to southern Colorado, particularly the Arkansas River Valley around Pueblo. While the chile has been grown in the region for generations, the variety most commonly associated with Pueblo chile today is the Mosco chile. The region’s hot, dry summers, cool nights, fertile soil, and Colorado water are all credited with contributing to the chile’s distinctive flavor and heat.
So, how does the Pueblo chile compare to the Hatch? For starters, it tends to have more heat than most Hatch varieties. Pueblo chile’s heat is comparable to a moderate jalapeño, although the exact heat varies by variety. They are also known for their thick flesh, which makes them particularly well suited for roasting. The thicker walls hold up during the roasting process, leaving plenty of “meaty” texture behind after the skin is removed.
Like other green chiles, Pueblo chiles can be left on the plant to mature from green to red, but green Pueblo chile is especially popular for roasting and eating fresh.
Green Chile Season in Northern Colorado
Scofield Fruits
Location: 1821 W Eisenhower Blvd, Loveland, CO 80538
From early August through late September, Scofield Fruits is the go-to spot for chile enthusiasts. Early in the season, you’ll find Hatch chiles, including Colorado-grown varieties and some sourced from Hatch, New Mexico. As soon as Colorado’s Pueblo and Brighton chiles are ready, Scofield switches its focus to local varieties, roasting fresh chile on-site throughout the season.
Scofield also offers a whole spectrum of heat, from mild and medium to hot and extra hot, with seven or more different varieties available throughout the season. This includes everything from Anaheim and Big Jim to Pueblo (Mosco), Poblano, and even Dynamite chiles, so there’s plenty to choose from whether you like a little heat or a lot of it.
During the off-season, Scofield also offers frozen, fire-roasted Pueblo chile. The chile comes straight from a grower in Pueblo and is fire-roasted, chopped, cleaned, and vacuum-packed!
Tigges Farm
Location: 12404 County Road 64 1/2, Greeley, CO 80631
If you visit Tigges Farm on Thursday through Sunday during chile season, you can expect to find fire-roasted chiles being roasted right on-site. The vast majority of the chiles sold at Tigges are grown on the farm and handpicked, so you can buy them fresh and have them roasted right in front of you.
All of Tigges Farm’s green chile varieties are Anaheim varieties (most developed in Hatch valley), but they offer a wide range of heat levels and flavors. Choose from very mild and mild varieties all the way up to hot, X-hot, and XX-hot, which can reach more than 40,000 Scoville heat units.
Lulu’s Farm
Location: 13201 E 144th Ave, Brighton, CO 80601
Lulu’s Farm is a diverse marketplace in Brighton that carries everything from grills and patio furniture to storage units, meat, fresh produce, and, most importantly, fresh chiles! They offer frozen chiles year-round, while during chile season, you can find freshly roasted chiles, including popular Anaheim chiles grown by local farmers and Hatch chiles straight from the Hatch Valley in New Mexico.
You won’t want to miss the 18th Annual Brighton Chile Festival happening at Lulu’s Farm. They’ll be roasting fresh Hatch, Pueblo, and homegrown Brighton chiles all day long. The festival will also feature live performances by Narrow Gauge, food trucks, a bigger bar, and more vendors than ever! Admission is FREE!
Bath Garden Center
Location: 2000 East Prospect Road Fort Collins, CO 80525
Bath Garden Center is more than just a garden center, especially during late summer when it becomes a hot spot for green chile roasting. For more than 12 years, Bath Garden Center has been roasting “Chuck’s Chilies,” a tradition started by Chuck and Carol Hedstrom, who built their own fire roaster and began offering fire-roasted Hatch chilies on-site. The tradition continues today in Chuck’s memory.
Fresh Hatch chiles are delivered weekly throughout the season, but demand is high, so it’s best to call ahead to make sure they have enough chiles on hand. Their chiles range from mild to medium to hot, and you can purchase them freshly roasted by the bag or even bring your own Hatch chiles to have roasted on-site.
Chuck’s fire-roasted chiles are also available in the Garden Center’s pepper freezer, so you can stock up and enjoy them even after roasting season ends.
Pope Farm
Location: 6501 West 28th Street, Greeley, Colorado 80634
Pope Farms is a go-to spot for fresh, local produce and plants, and during chile season, it’s a go-to spot for chile enthusiasts, too. Everything they sell is Colorado local, either grown at the farm or purchased from other Colorado growers.
Their chiles are locally grown but have the authentic Hatch chile flavor, giving you the best of both worlds: you can support Colorado farmers while still enjoying the flavor you love. Their chiles range from mild to hot, and you can have them roasted on site.
Grant Farm
Location: 12155 N County Rd 15, Wellington, CO, United States, 80549
Grant Farms has a self-service farm stand located right on the farm. Year-round, you’ll find bedding plants, vegetable starts, hanging baskets, and fresh fruits and vegetables grown on the farm, along with baby chicks in the spring! During chile season, they offer homegrown, fire-roasted green chile as well as fire-roasted jalapeños. They also bring in Hatch chile, giving you the chance to stock up on both local Colorado chile and the classic Hatch varieties.
Miller Farms
Location: 13912 County Road 19, Platteville, Colorado 80651-9108
Miller Farms is one of the best-known farms in the area and has been around since 1949. Alongside all kinds of fresh, locally grown produce, the farm grows several varieties commonly associated with Hatch and Pueblo chile, including Anaheim, Big Jim, Mirasol, Hot Anaheim, and Dynamite.
Miller Farms does not roast its chiles, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy them roasted! Pick up some fresh chiles at the farm and roast them yourself, or take them to another chile stand on this list to have them roasted for you. It’s a great option if you want to start with locally grown Colorado chile and handle the roasting yourself.
Farmers Markets
The holy grail of chile season can be found at farmers markets across Colorado. If you’re not able to make it to one of the individual farms listed above, don’t worry, many of them set up stands at farmers markets. During chile season, you can find everything from fresh local chiles to freshly roasted green chiles at markets across Colorado.
Here are some of the farmers markets where you can get your chile fix this season:
Fort Collins Farmers Market (Sundays at 1001 East Harmony Road, Fort Collins, CO, 80525)
Larimer County Farmers Market (Saturdays at 200 W Oak St, Fort Collins, CO 80521)
Greeley (Saturdays at North of Lincoln Park on 7th St, Greeley, CO 80631)
Loveland (Sundays at 700 S Railroad Ave, Loveland, CO 80537)
