You'd grind hot peppers for the same reason you'd put salt and pepper grinders on the table: Some people want to add more to the food.

Most people like hot peppers
, and some people like it crazy hot! No matter how many peppers the chef put into the chili, someone always wants it hotter. The following method, allows you to put a shaker of pepper powder on the table for those how want it atomic.

Read and follow the Article HOW TO DRY HOT PEPPERS. (http://www.xomba.com/how_dry_hot_peppers).

The peppers must be completely dry. "Mostly dry" peppers will shred, but doesn't give the same even powder that we're looking for. The need to crunch like potato chips if you try to break them.

When the peppers are completely dry, take them outside or a very well ventilated area like a porch, along with your blender. This isn't a joke. We are going to grind the hot peppers into a very fine powder, and it will float in the air. If you inhale it, it'll be like inhaling a hot pepper, with no way to soothe it. If you get the dust in your eyes, it'll burn like you can't imagine with no way to soothe it. Don't take chances. Take it outside.

While wearing gloves to protect your fingers and skin from the pepper oil, put the dried peppers into a blender and pulse the blender for a second or so at a time, repeatedly until the peppers are all ground into a fine powder.

Carefully put the pepper powder into a shaker, and put it on the table along with the salt and pepper grinders for the chili head in your family who likes it nuclear hot.

You can use a food processor, but I've never seen one grind as well as a standard blender.

You can experiment a bit and add other finely ground spices
to the shaker like cinnamon or mustard. Some combinations are AWESOME!

I've found that pulsing the blender does a much better chop than turning it on and letting it run. I think it has to do with the flakes falling back into the blades better.

Grind it outside!

Wear gloves!

Wash thoroughly!

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