Farmers prepare to roast bushels of green chiles

Expect to smell roasting green chiles near downtown Pueblo this weekend. The Chile & Frijoles Festival kicks off on Friday.

At Shane Milberger’s farm on the Mesa, workers are unloading pallets of freshly-picked peppers to bring to the festival.

“We’re all excited about the chile festival,” Milberger said.

About 100,000 people are expected to turn out for a taste of Pueblo’s peppers.

“It’s a huge impact on the community and on the ag industry in Pueblo County,” said Rod Slyhoff, president of the Pueblo Chamber of Commerce.

Milberger plans to bring 1,000 bushels of his signature Pueblo chiles to roast at the festival, in addition to the Anaheim pepper.

“The Pueblo pepper has so much more flavor. It’s known as a Mirasol — it grows upwards on the plant versus downwards,” explained Milberger, adding that the Pueblo chile is hotter and more flavorful than the Anaheim pepper.

As the chiles crackle over the roaster, the heat blisters the skin of the peppers. Milberger said the design of the roaster was invented by his friend Pete Giadone, who has since passed away.

Milberger said the roasters were designed specifically to roast and peel Pueblo chiles. Once the chiles have been cooked, Milberger cools them off with a hose as the skin from the peppers falls down a chute.

“Once we do roast the chiles for you, that there is a time frame that you need to get those packed away, put in your cooler and frozen,” Milberger said.

Slyhoff estimates the festival generates more than $2 million for the local economy.

The festival begins on Friday at 3 p.m. on Union Avenue and runs through Sunday. For more information on the festival, visit: http://pueblochilefestivalinfo.com/