By Lori Fredrich Senior Food Writer, Dining Editor, Podcast Host Published Aug 16, 2017 at 3:56 PM

We’ve entered the dog days of summer, and Sendik’s is celebrating with a special offering: Hatch chile peppers from New Mexico.

These unique peppers, which are common in Southwestern cooking, offer variable heat (mild to hot) similar to an Anaheim pepper, along with a buttery texture once roasted. Grown exclusively in the Mesilla Valley of New Mexico, Hatch chiles have a relatively short season, which peaks in mid- to late-August. And you’ll rarely – if ever – find them in Wisconsin in their fresh form.

However, over the next two weekends, Sendik’s locations in Franklin, Whitefish Bay, West Bend and New Berlin will host Hatch chile pepper roasting events during which both roasted and unroasted peppers will be available for purchase.

Hatch chiles will be roasting between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on the following days:

  • Saturday, Aug. 19: Sendik’s Franklin, 5200 W. Rawson Ave., and West Bend, 280 N. 18th Ave.
  • Sunday, Aug. 20: Sendik’s Whitefish Bay, 500 E. Silver Spring Dr., and West Milwaukee, 1740 Miller Park Way
  • Saturday, Aug. 26: Sendik’s New Berlin, 3600 S. Moorland Rd., and Grafton, 2195 1st Ave.
  • Sunday, Aug. 27: Sendik’s Greenfield, 7901 W. Layton Ave., and Waukesha-Meadowbrook, 701 Meadowbrook Rd.

During the events, unroasted Hatch chile peppers (medium or hot) will be available for $2.99 per pound at all Sendik's stores. Roasted Hatch chile peppers will be $3.99 per pound and will only be available at select locations listed above. Shoppers also have the option of purchasing a 25-pound case of roasted Hatch chile peppers, as well as a variety of items made with the peppers, including bacon Hatch flatbread pizza and roasted Hatch pepper corn salad.

Customers who wish to e-order Hatch chiles in quantity are encouraged to visit sendiks.com/hatch. Freezing and storage instructions are also available online.

Lori Fredrich Senior Food Writer, Dining Editor, Podcast Host

Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with each and every dish. She’s had the privilege of chronicling these tales via numerous media, including OnMilwaukee and in her book “Milwaukee Food.” Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. 

When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or recording the FoodCrush podcast, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.