Hot Pepper Tincture

I love to make a super hot tincture to add to dishes and bloody marys and such. This is the easiest way that I've found to make it, and it stores a long time too! A great way to keep your delicious hot peppers. I had a HUGE crop of peppers last year and was wondering how to best preserve them and retain their hotness.

 Last year, I gathered over 8,000 hot peppers from only 5 plants! It made for a huge freezer full of them. I was trying to think of something to do with them, as I love the taste, but I can only use so many of them in my cooking. One scorpion pepper in a dish for several people is enough kiss of death for me. I decided the easiest thing to do was to dry them. This works well as you can then cook with the essence of them and add them for a nice spicy smoothie without worry as much about cutting them with others around. This project is best recommended to be done outside if at all possible, and with gloves and perhaps even eye protection depending on what peppers you're using and how sensitive you are to them. I never used either until I experienced the scorpion pepper. Use the goggles and gloves.

 I STRONGLY recommend doing as much of this as you can outside and within reach of your garden hose.

•  A lot of hot peppers (I used just over 200)
• Everclear- or another strong, drinkable, alcohol - above 80 proof - I got mine on a military base, but look in the vodka section on the bottom shelf, there should be something. You just want a high proof, drinkable, alcohol.
• Dropper bottle
• Sharp knife - I have not used this one, but I have used this style - in full tang.
• Cutting board
• Dish Soap - any will work, but I strongly prefer the spray so you make sure to get everywhere.
• Large glass bottle - I save a large pasta sauce jar or something of the like - make sure it has a tight fitting lid!
• Funnel (Preferably metal) - always prefer a metal, wide mouth canning funnel - plastic is harder to clean
• Blender / coffee grinder / mortar & pestle - you don't really have to do this but it helps with flavor extraction by increasing surface area drastically. For the blender, I prefer a Vitamix due to the awesome power, but any good blender will work. A coffee grinder is a good alternative, but due to size, you may have to work in batches. Sometimes, I use the spice grinder, I like it because it's cheaper and grinds powder better but you usually have to do it in batches. This mortar & pestle I've used, and it works very well, the top over it is really useful for pepper dust. 

Things that aren't required but make life easier:

• Disposable rubber gloves
• Dehydrator
• Garden hose
• Goggles
• Mask / respirator (I just use a paper mask, we have extras from covid times)
• Cheese cloth/ Sieve (helps speed things up) / Coffee filters - I only use a multi layered cheese cloth instead of a sieve as it's disposable after. I then strain again with a coffee filter.
• Large glass dropper - I didn't buy this one here, but had a similar one lying around.

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Wear your gloves if you choose to use them. You will need a lot of peppers. 100-200 should be enough, and to get a nice flavorful tincture, I use several different types. I personally like a mix of various peppers: Jalapenos, Habaneros, Scorpion, Ghost, and Mad Hatter Peppers.  

Wash your peppers first using your sink or garden hose. Using your knife and cutting board, remove all stems from the peppers. I cut them all in half so that they dry much faster. I also remove the seeds so that I can grow new batches later. Contrary to popular belief, removing the seeds does not remove the heat. The seeds themselves contain no capsicum. Leave the pith, the stuff around the seeds, as best you can. You can leave the seeds in if you want, but if you are using a blender it can add an odd taste. 

The easiest way, I think, is with a dehydrator, but you can sun dry them too. If you use a dehydrator, then the best thing is to cut them in half so that they dry faster.

CAUTION - using the dehydrator inside can cause fumes that cause irritation to people and some pets!

If you use the dehydrator, they should be done overnight, I even set my dehydrator outside - or in the garage if you have one. If you dry them outside without the dehydrator, the best thing is to single layer them on a baking sheet and leave them in sun, after cutting them in half. They can take a full day or two in full sun, depending on heat and humidity. 

Have your funnel and glass bottle clean, DRIED, and ready to put in your hot pepper powder.

I do this outside. If you have removed the seeds, then this is easier to do in a blender. If you use a blender, blend until they are a fine powder.

CAUTION - After blending wait a few minutes to let the dust settle before openings. I did this outside on my deck when there was low wind.

After the dust has settled in the blender, CAREFULLY pour the powder into the glass jar. For this, I prefer to use a piece of paper as the funnel so that it can be recycled after and I don't need to worry about accidently getting some hot surprise my next I use my funnel. 

Next, carefully pour Everclear, or your other strong liquor, over the powder, making sure to cover it completely with an inch of so over the top of the powder. Make sure to put the lid on tightly.

 You will let this sit, about 1-2 weeks, shaking it often to agitate the powder to expose all of it to the alcohol. I try to shake it every few hours while I work. 

I often don't filter mine, I just use a large dropper and put it into a dropper bottle and leave the glass jar with the peppers in it. However, if you want to filter it, the easiest way is to use a coffee filter and then compost the hot pepper remnants. When I do filter, then I bury the powder in the backyard so that I don't accidently get it on my hands when gardening later, as it can still be irritant.

Another way that I've filtered it is to use a reusable coffee filter and then hung it on a banana hook over my bowl - but used it OUTSIDE. That worked quite well. I used this one - Coffee Filter - please note that this is also an affiliate link (see message above). This worked really well, you just have to wash it very, very well before making coffee again. 

Once you have it in the dropper bottle, put a drop or two in your favorite drink! I tastes good with 2 or 3 drops on breaded pork chops, but is very hot! My favorite use is in Bloody Mary's!

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