The spice of life!

We like things spicy around here so every year I plant way more pepper plants than I should! I've pickled and lactofermented just about all I can stand but still have lots of peppers coming. That's the thing about pepper plants - the more you pick, the more they grow! Plus, they LOVE hot Texas summers.

I spend a small fortune on seasoning blends. It finally dawned on me that I can make my own minus all the MSG and other additives...and yeah, it only took me two years to figure that out!

With my surplus of various peppers I added in some onion and herbs and put them in the food dehydrator. After about two days I put everything into the food processor, did a few quick pulses to chop everything finely, and voila - my very own custom made spice blend!

Depending on the flavors you want, you can customize your spice blend by adding a few teaspoons of spices from your pantry or your own dried herbs.

For a smoky Southwest blend add cumin, sweet paprika, and dried cilantro.

For an Asian flavor add some ground ginger and toasted sesame seeds.

An Italian blend can be made by adding oregano, rosemary, and thyme.

And a wonderful Mediterranean spice could be made from crushed fennel seeds, dried mint and dried lemon peel.

Like I said, it would cost a small fortune to buy all of those in the store,
but with one or two pepper plants, an onion, and spices you probably already have, you can make it for just pennies a jar!