Dried Red Pepper Flakes

We had/have an over-abundance of hot-peppers (mostly habaneros – since I could actually find uses for the cayenne, but its hard to find many uses for more than 1 habanero at a time usually). Since I love store-bought red pepper flakes (on pizza, in soups, spice up any dish, etc) I figured it couldn’t be too hard to make my own in order to use up a bit of peppers…

…After some research I discovered, no – it wasn’t too hard (even without a dehydrator). For the first hour or so of these being in the oven the house feels slightly spicy to the smell, but not too bad. Now, if only this made more (guess I need to spend another full day with the oven on to make these), since I’ve already put quite a dent on the baggie of dried pepper in the last week!

Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

• about 1 pound assorted peppers (a mix of habanero, cayenne & jalapeno is what I used) – and I had less than 1 pound, do whatever fits on a pan for you!

Wash & pat dry your assortment of peppers. Cut off the stems & cut in half. For more mild flakes scoop out insides. I left them in there and when I use my flakes will just use less if I want something less spicy. Place on a foil-lined cookie sheet in a 250 degree oven for about 8 hours. They will look dry and brittle when you are done. The house may feel a bit ‘spicy’ during this time.

Remove from oven and let cool. Place them in a large zip-top bag and carefully crush them (with a rolling pin). Get your flakes to the desired consistency and then do not open your bag for a few minutes to allow the dust to settle. Place in a container and enjoy the fruits (or vegetables) of your labor all year (or as long as it lasts)!

And I leave you with this, Today’s Question of the Day… what spices or seasoning have you made (or would you like to make instead of buying)