I’ve been microwaving food since I was a kid, but no one ever taught me the rules of microwave use. I learned not to put metal in it when I was reheating a foil-wrapped Wendy’s burger, and I learned the dangers of overheating liquids in chemistry class. No one, however, warned me about chili peppers.
The 5 Foods You Should NEVER, EVER Microwave
It’s fine to cook or soften sweet or bell peppers in the microwave, but spicy chili peppers should be avoided unless you’re into pain and suffering. Capsaicin, the molecule responsible for a pepper’s heat, is quite volatile, and microwaving a pepper releases its capsaicin, filling your microwave with homemade pepper spray.
If you open your microwave, that homemade pepper spray will go straight into your face, eyes, and airways, which is painful. Exactly how painful (and potentially harmful) depends on how spicy your chili is, but it can get extreme. In 2016, WHAM TV reported that a hazardous materials team had to be called to an apartment building, all because of a single microwaved pepper. No serious injuries were reported, but tenants had to be evacuated due to irritation. (Unfortunately, they didn’t disclose what kind of pepper it was.)
Luckily, there’s an easy way to avoid these kinds of problems: Don’t microwave spicy peppers. Cook them on the grill, or in a pan, or roast them in the oven. And even then, consider turning on a fan when working with a pepper that’s high in capsaicin. (Unless you’re grilling them, that is. Most grilling happens outdoors.) And if you happen to have independent kids who like to cook their own food, make sure they’re aware of the things you shouldn’t put in the microwave. Metal might be the most obvious, but the dangers of homemade pepper gas should probably be somewhere on the list.
