How to Make Delicious Chili Powder

Stop using bland store bought chili powder. Making your own is really simple and will make your food taste so much better.

Step1
Cleaning: Remove all stems from the peppers. Wipe the dust off them with a damp rag and let them dry again. If you are concerned about it being too hot, remove the seeds at this point as well. If you like it hot like I do, leave them in!

Step2
Grinding: Put all the dried peppers into the blender. Put it on the highest setting for as long as it takes to turn them into dust. This could take anywhere from 30 seconds to several minutes depending on the blender and the volume of peppers you are using. Let the dust settle before opening the blender or you will inhale the dust. That burns…a lot.

Step3
Additives: Remove the base of the chili powder. Add about 1 part each of the garlic and black pepper and about 2 parts cumin per 20 parts of chili powder. Start w/ a very small amount of salt and taste it. Add more if necessary but, be careful not to add very much. This gives it some contrast so that if you use it as a condiment, it’s can stand on it’s own a little better. If you use much salt, be careful not to over-salt the food when you cook with it.

Step4
Storage: Put the chili powder in a sealable jar. A mason jar works good. Store in a dark cabinet. It will last a good year this way.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a variety of peppers for contrast.
• You can use all fresh ingredients but, dehydrate them first.
• Be careful not to use too many hot peppers or it will be too hot.
• Wash well afterwards and DO NOT touch your face or eyes.