Too hot chili

[Angie]

How do I tone down my chili that is too spicy for my mouth?

All I put in it was:
Meat
Chili beans
Tomatoes
Green chilis
Tomato soup and sauce
Chili powder
Onion
Garlic
Black pepper

Should I try sugar? Potatoes?

I added another can of tomato sauce to it hoping that would help..but it's not close enough.

[Uncle Bob]

The best idea (IMHO) is to make another batch, with no green chilis, or black pepper, and maybe the chili powder if it is very hot. Then mix the two batches! If the chili powder is "hot" leave it out also, and substitute cumin! Obviously you will have a double batch, but it freezes really well!

[jabbur]

I would add some chocolate syrup and some sugar. Then serve with cornbread or crackers. Next time decrease the chili powder, use green peppers instead of green chilies.

[Jeff G.]

Add Cheddar cheese, or sour cream. The lactose will tame the heat quite well.

[jennyema]

The best way is what Uncle Bob said -- make a small batch without the hot stuff and combine.

Potatoes don't work for this or for salt.

[Callisto in NC]

A large can of tomatoes, not tomato sauce usually calms mine down. When I make it super spicy by request I use the cheese and sour cream method for my daughter.

[Andy M.]

I have to go along with Uncle Bob as well. Adding different ingredients to counteract the heat changes the taste of the chili, perhaps to the point where you don't like it any more.

[pacanis]

I saw this on a cooking show, but never tried it myself..... they said to add lettuce to the chili as it's cooking to take out some of the hottness.

[auntdot]

As has been noted you cannot take the hot out of the dish. You can dilute it, as Uncle Bob stated.

Milk, cream, yogurt will take out some of the heat, but then it ain't chil. OK, everyone has their own idea about what chili is. And maybe someone likes chili with yogurt, but I am not about to do it.

Although........

Back to topic.

You might try serving it with pasta or noodles, a chili-mac dish. The pasta will dilute the hotness a bit.

Or could serve with rice, although that would be my second choice - only a preference. I love pasta.

Just as a word of advice, the heat from chiles in chili builds with time. What tastes a bit zesty when it is cooking can become very hot later on, or the next day. Chili is always better the next day.

We have learned to get an idea of how hot the chili is gonna taste, but it took a lot of batches.

And remember, you can always add more heat when the final product is made. There are tons of chile sauces out there.

We have survived super hot chili - and that is how we have learned.

This just occurred to me, a chili omelet, the eggs will cut the hot a bit.

It might work in a frittata (spelling may be off, the t's always confuse me in that dish).

As they say, when life hands you a lemon make lemonade.

Ya got a challange many of us have had. Have some fun with it - and God bless.

[Angie]

Thanks everyone. It's not too hot for DH..and since he'll be without teeth soon, I think I'll just freeze it for him to eat!