Homemade Red Pepper Flakes
This recipe for homemade red pepper flakes is very simple and doesn’t require a dehydrator. I’ve found that the flavor of making your own flakes is superior to the store bought kind. I enjoy adding them to fried eggs, pasta, marinades, and many tomato dishes.
Ingredients
- cayenne peppers (any amount works)
Steps
1
First, wash the cayenne peppers and dry with a paper towel.
2
Trim off the stem of the peppers (wearing gloves if preferred).
3
Next, preheat the oven to 180 degrees (see notes below). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the peppers on the baking sheet, so they’re spread out and not touching each other.
4
Place tray in the oven for approximately 6-8 hours. The peppers are ready once they’re crisp to the touch and hollow sounding. Check the peppers every so often, as the smaller ones will be done sooner.
5
Once the peppers are finished, move on to crushing them. A mortar and pestle (linked here) is a good option and fun to use! However, a few pulses in a blender or food processor also works well to break down the peppers. Store away in a jar and enjoy adding the flakes to all your favorite dishes!
*NOTES*: My oven was hot enough on the ‘warm’ setting to dehydrate the peppers. I’ve also found that staying under 200 degrees to dehydrate is best.
I prefer to use a unbleached, chlorine free parchment paper, linked here.
