Word to the Wise

Word to the Wise: Do not work with jalapenos without gloves. Today I decided to juice all of our homegrown jalapenos, so that I can eventually make a hot pepper jelly with them. With bare hands, I de-seeded and removed all of the ribs from them. Then I threw these hot peppers in my electric juicer. The air from the juiced jalapenos was so strong and pungent that I couldn't stop coughing. After everything was said and done, I cleaned up the mess and washed my hands. But, my hands began to burn. I washed my hands at least 4 times. I tried to ignore the burning and began munching on some Oreos. I licked my fingers and they tasted spicy! Ahhhhh! What have I done? I spoke to a neighbor about it. She had apparently done the same thing and told me that she couldn't put her contacts in for 4 days because the oils from the jalapenos remained on her fingers for that duration of time. So, the moral of this story is-- wear gloves when working with any sort of hot pepper!