Word to the wise

[unixronin]

This may come as an unexpected revelation, but when you're picking through and de-seeding a bunch of dried chile peppers, and you manage to drive a sharp shard of hardened dried chile up under your nail and into the nail bed, IT REALLY @&$#(*&$($#$%@$ HURTS, and continues to do so well after you dig the *@#&$*&%*&#$%% shard out.

Capsaicin .... the gift that just keeps right on giving.

Comments

I wonder if it would help

[dakiwiboid.livejournal.com]

to soak that finger in a saltwater solution? A bit of salt sprinkled on the tongue tends to put "mouthfire" out.

Re: I wonder if it would help

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

I've always heard sugar for that purpose. (The original definition of the Scoville heat unit was based on how much sugar water it took to neutralize.)

In any case, it cooled off about 20 minutes after I managed to dig the shard out, and is just slightly sore now.

Re: I wonder if it would help

[robbat2.livejournal.com]

Capsaicin binds to dairy fats, so that always works well to help quench things (use whole cream or homogenized milk, rather than skim or 2%).

Re: I wonder if it would help

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

We don't buy skim milk (not for drinking, anyway). It tastes like chalkwater.