If you can't stand the heat... (don't touch the chillies)

I looked at the pile of green chilli peppers on my kitchen worktop and sighed. I don't do much cooking with chillis and there at least 40 of the blighters there, all home grown and apparently more than a little warm to the taste.

Oh well, only one thing for it - split, de-seed and put in the freezer.

Stupid thing was I turned the chopping board over so as not to risk the capsicum in the chillis tainting subsequent foodstuffs I might prepare on the board. I know how difficult it can be to get it out...

Then I found a sharp knife, washed the chillis, started slicing and seeding.

15 minutes later all the sliced chillis were laid in a plastic bag in the top of the freezer, and the base of one finger on my left hand was stinging slightly.

30 minutes later the backs of my hands were on fire. Ice pack applied to both and a frantic search of the internet to find a cure.

Over the next 3 hours the palms of my hands started to glow, the pain underneath my fingernails increased, and the discomfort in the folds of skin on my knuckle joints was intense. The nearest comparison is the feeling you get when you inadvertently put your hands into the freshly run washing up water and then remember you've not added any cold...

...except it doesn't go away.

Last night I tried the following 'cures'. Some that I found on the 'net, others that I just hoped might do the trick:

> Cold water - works until the skin is dry, then it hurts even more.
> Ice pack - works well until you taken your hands away from it, or the ice melts.
> Warm water and soap - nope.
> Lemon juice - works until the lemon juice dries, but it's sticky and goes everywhere. Pain returns within 3 minutes.
> Warm water and lemon washing up liquid. Not really.
> Vinegar - instant relief, for about 5 minutes.
> Greek yoghurt- relieves until it dries. I had a pot of yoghurt in the freezer and the best bit was putting my fingertips in the top of the frozen food, the proteins helped with the pain and the coolness was soothing. But, as soon as the yoghurt dries on the skin the pain comes back again. It is also a very messy activity and for people like me who don't like milk products the smell made me feel sick. OK for milk lovers who can sit with their hands in pots of yoghurt for 10 hours.
> Olive oil - helps to take off the capsicum. Limited temporary success, better when mixed with lemon juice, but again once the hands dry the pain returns very intensely.
> Germoline - just made the pain worse, possibly as it has a warming effect on the skin?
> Aloe Vera gel - alone it worked beautifully whilst damp, but dried on the skin quickly and I had to wash it off, the pain became so intense. But... surprisingly, but washing it off with cool water and large quantities of cream soap the burning sensation dissapated a little.
> Holding hands in front of a fan (on full blast) or an air con. Highly effective in reducing pain, but makes your arms go numb after a while! As soon as hands are removed from the direct air flow the pain returns.

Eventually I managed to get sufficient relief that I didn't want to cry any more by going through the following process:

1. Allow burning sensation to continue for at least 3 hours, trying all the above.
2. Slather hands with Aloe Vera gel.
3. When it starts to dry, wash hands thoroughly in warm water using lots of cream soap.
4. Repeat steps 2. and 3.
5. Pat hands dry with paper towel (don't use a towelling towel the capsicum will get onto it).
6. Apply liberal quantities of Dettol antiseptic/anesthetic cream.
7. Once Dettol cream has soaked in add a goodly amount of Nivea After sun!
8. 400ml Ibuprofen.
9. Keeping hands slightly above the body, so blood isn't rushing down the arms to fingertips and making hands throb!

By 1am I felt able to lay in bed, and found the cool touch of the cotton sheets was helpful.

This morning, 12 hours later, the burning is nearly gone, just a tingle in my fingertips and across the back of my knuckles remains. My hands feel tight, as though I'm wearing too small gloves, and the skin has started to peel on my palms. I touched my chin about 20 minutes ago and I can now feel the warmth where I touched, so the capsicum is still present and working, albeit less effectively now.

Moral of the story - never, ever prepare chillies without protection! And today's handy hint is don't wear latex gloves as the capsicum can permeate them, splash out and buy rubber ones...