Ever wonder how red pepper flakes are made? Or where they come from? Until recently I hadn’t really thought about it. I buy my red pepper flakes/ chile flakes from the grocery store in a bottle like I do with most of my spices.
In my weekly Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) box I found a full pound of cayenne peppers. Researching how to cook with them, I discovered Julia from Mariquita Farm’s photo essay on how to make red pepper flakes.
First, wash the peppers and pat them dry. Cut the peppers length-wise and take out the pith and seeds. Set oven at 200 degrees and place peppers skin side up, and let roast for about 6-8 hours until roasted, dark and dry. You’ll know the peppers are ready to be grinded when they become brittle.
Next, let the peppers cool a bit and put them in a grinder. You can use a coffee grinder, a food processor—whatever you have in your kitchen. Start by grinding just a little to see the size of flakes you get. The less grinding—the more flakey the result. The more you grind—the closer it’ll look to the powdered pepper you buy in a store.
These cayenne pepper flakes are nothing like the plastic store bought red pepper flakes. The color is a deep blood red, the flakes smell like fresh pepper, and the texture is like rock salt. And the taste…is incredible—deep, warm, mysterious—with just a touch of a rounded spiciness.
P.S Cayenne peppers rate about four out of ten in terms of heat.
8 Comments
“This is so interesting. I never thought about how to make them until now, and it looks so easy.”
—Christina, 5 months ago
“do you know how much electricity you waist by doing this? isin't it cheaper to buy them?”
—Maja, 5 months ago
“brilliant! I wonder if his would wok with habaneros too - my garden seemed to like them and I have way more than I know what to do with.”
—lk , 5 months ago
“Hi -- yes it would work with haberno as well. Ursula”
—Ursula, 5 months ago
“I love making chili flakes, so much better than the grocery store stuff. I cheat a little though, I buy the dried red chilies and throw the whole thing in the food processor. I leave the seeds in because I like the extra spice. I just bought a huge bag of serrano peppers at the Oakland farmers' market and I'm going to try this recipe with a bunch of them.”
—Allison Arevalo, 5 months ago
“@Maja- if electricity is your issue use a mortar and pestle”
—Bre, 5 months ago
“Do you know if putting them out in the sun all day would also work? I once dried miso paste like this to end up with dried miso. This meant I didn't have an oven on all day. its worth checking on them throughout the day though otherwise they burn.”
—Chana, 4 months ago
“Love it. Made it right after you posted this and only got to grind the dried peppers today. Left it at flake consistency.
Warning to you spice lovers--even though you don't smell the spiciness upon preparation, it is actually quite a powerful pepper...it took 3 days for the air in the house to clear and for my sneezing to stop.”
—Ravit, 4 months ago