Homemade Ground Cayenne Recipe Turns Fresh Peppers Into a Spicy Seasoning Spices Budget Recipes Vegetables Low Sugar Recipes Low Sodium Recipes Gluten-free

When I started growing peppers, and a lesson learned pretty quickly is that you will be overloaded with cayenne peppers. They grow in abundance – and hot peppers grow fast!

Not knowing what to do with my harvest, someone suggested making homemade cayenne pepper powder. Use this homemade spice on chicken, pork, seafood, vegetables, eggs or in gumbo, creole dishes or anything you want to add a little kick to.

All you need to make this hot pepper powder is fresh cayenne peppers or your favorite hot peppers. You will also need a spice or coffee bean grinder. I bought a small, inexpensive spice grinder and use it only on spices. 

This is a wonderful spice to keep in your pantry to add a kick to almost any savory dish, plus you get the health benefits of cayenne peppers. Cayenne peppers may also help with psoriasis, boost metabolism, reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer, and may aid in pain relief.

Don't grow peppers? You can buy peppers already dried in bulk.

Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 1 hour to 24 hours
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour to 24 hours
Servings: 20

Ingredients

• fresh cayenne peppers or your favorite hot pepper

Equipment

• spice/coffee bean grinder
• food dehydrator (optional)
• gloves (optional, but recommended) 
• kitchen shears

Here's how to make it: 

1. The peppers must be completely dry to turn them into a powder. Here are your options for drying the peppers:

• Allow to dry naturally. This will take a while. 
• Use a food dehydrator.
• Dry in the oven.
• Lay in the sun and allow to dry.

If drying in the oven, cut off the stems (wear gloves!) and lay on a baking sheet or wire baking rack. Place in a 125- to 175- degree F oven until dry (this may take several hours depending on freshness and size).

If drying in a food dehydrator, cut off the stems and follow the manufacturer's directions.

If drying in the sun, lay them on a kitchen towel where they will get direct sun. This will take several hours depending on size and freshness. This method is mainly for hot, summer months. Make sure kids and pets can't get their hands (or paws) on them.

If drying naturally, just ignore them until they are dried out. (This was the method I used after mine started drying because I had so many. I finished drying in the oven.)

2. If you haven't already, cut off the stems.

3. Cut the peppers into smaller pieces using kitchen shears.

4. Put into a spice/coffee grinder.

5. Pulse until they turn into a powder.

6. Pour through a mesh strainer, if desired, to remove any large pieces.

7. Store in an airtight container or spice jar.

Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. Any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.

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