# How do I make my own crushed red pepper? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 27, 2009, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-my-own-crushed-red-pepper/507940 "2009-08-27T19:02:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2009, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-my-own-crushed-red-pepper/507940/1 "2009-08-27T19:02:18Z")
Say I wanted to make my own red pepper, like what you see in the shakers at pizza restaurants, what sort of pepper would I need to use? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2009, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-my-own-crushed-red-pepper/507940/2 "2009-08-27T19:11:10Z")
I don’t know what they use at pizza restaurants, but I’ve had [Thai chilis](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_pepper) that I forgot about in the fridge. They were stored in a small paper bag. When I discovered them, they were dried out. I crushed them, and used them in my ramen. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2009, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-my-own-crushed-red-pepper/507940/3 "2009-08-27T19:24:37Z")
[Pizza Pepper.](http://www.theperfectpantry.com/2007/05/red_pepper_flak.html) [What are red pepper flakes?](http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-red-pepper-flakes.htm) [Red pepper flakes.](http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/equivalents_substitutions.asp?index=R&tid=2292) [How to make crushed red pepper flakes.](http://www.ehow.com/how_2150727_crushed-red-pepper-flakes.html) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2009, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-my-own-crushed-red-pepper/507940/4 "2009-08-27T21:57:53Z")
Any kind of hot pepper at all will work. A few years ago, I had some little inch-long ones called “Super Chili” (which seem to be the only kind of pepper that can grow around here at all) that did fine. ---
**Author:** ![Clivas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@Clivas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clivas)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-my-own-crushed-red-pepper/507940/5 "2009-08-28T03:40:48Z")
A friend gave me a cayenne pepper plant and i got some nice little peppers out of it. I dried them out until they were really brittle and crushed them up. Careful with that. Made my eyes sting pretty good. Anyway…crushed them up and put them in a jar and they got moldy pretty quick. So my suggestion from my own experience is even though they feel super dry, maybe let them dry a bit more after crushing them. ---
**Author:** ![Jerseyman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@Jerseyman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jerseyman)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-my-own-crushed-red-pepper/507940/6 "2009-08-28T03:42:26Z")
Might be better to make _piri-piri_ by letting them steep in vinegar. ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-my-own-crushed-red-pepper/507940/7 "2009-08-28T17:58:33Z")
I’ve used a variety of different red dried peppers. Different varieties have different flavors, so taste before you commit to a large batch. I tend to try to remove as many seeds as I can, as I find they make the taste a little bitter when your teeth crunch through them (on pizza). I’d love some sort of screen that I could press the flakes through, but I’ve not figured that system out yet. I simply pop off the tops, pour out as many seeds as I can, then crush the pods that are left over. WEAR GLOVES. DO NOT TOUCH ANY OF YOUR WIFE’S “BITS” UNTIL FULLY DECONTAMINATED. :eek: Learn from my experience. :smack: