RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TN - A lot of folks love hot wings, and if you’re one of them - you’re not alone! As the weather cools and football season kicks into high gear, spicy wings take center stage at parties and gatherings. But if you're whipping up your own peppery sauce, eye doctor Dr. Craig McCabe from McCabe Vision Center in Murfreesboro has one piece of advice: Don't rub your eyes!
Handling hot peppers like jalapeños or the lethally painful ghost pepper can lead to a condition chefs call "jalapeño hands." It sounds funny, but it’s no joke. Oils from chili peppers can soak into your skin, creating a burn that sticks around—sometimes for hours. It’s not just your hands that are in danger of soaking up the heat. If someone accidently gets that pepper oil in their eyes, needless to say it’s an experience you won’t soon forget!
Wash your hands immediately after prepping spicy foods, Dr. McCabe advises. When preparing large batches of spicy foods, there will be more burn to go around, which means the burning sensation may outlast the party you’re making the hot sauce for the hot wings for.
Sure, wearing gloves and goggles while cooking might seem a bit excessive, and your friends may get a good chuckle at your expense, but when it comes to chili peppers, it’s better to be laughed at for donning the safety gear, than to be laughed at when the heat’s too much to stay in the kitchen.
The fiery sensation from pepper oil can linger well beyond your last bite of wings—and no one wants to end the night nursing a burning eye or hand… So, next time you’re shaking your wings in that blazing sauce, remember: safety first! After all, the only burn you should experience is the delicious one on your taste buds—not on your hands or in your eyes.
- Hear the most recent interview in our podcast section, listen to Dr. McCabe HERE.
