Making Spice Powder from Homegrown Peppers

An easy way to save the peppers you’ve grown is to dehydrate them in an oven. This process functions the same regardless of the pepper variety. Today I’m using cayenne.

You’ll need:

Cutting board
Baking Dish
Parchment Paper
Knife
Food processor or spice grinder
Glass jar & lid

Protip: Keep your peppers on the plant as long as possible to ensure maximum flavor development. Don’t forget to save a few seeds when you slice them open for next year’s growing season! Remember that only fully ripened peppers will have viable seeds.

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 170°F / 80°C
2. To prepare each pepper for drying, cut the tops off and then slice them vertically in half.
3. Line your baking dish with parchment paper and spread sliced peppers evenly.
4. Bake for roughly 2 to 3 hours, until dry and brittle to the touch.
5. Run the dehydrated peppers through a food processor until pulverized to a powder.
6. Store in an airtight container and enjoy!