Cayenne Pepper

Cayenne is an awesome spice to have in storage. It has been said that if you only use one herb, use cayenne. I don’t use it a lot in cooking (although my husband loves it sprinkled on almost anything) but we use it for health reasons.

Cayenne was one of the important things that the pioneers brought with them across the plains because if it’s healing power. They used it to stop bleeding, put it in open wounds and used it for sinus problems, frostbite, joint pain, headache, toothache as well as many other things. It is good for high blood pressure, heart health, ulcers. It was often sprinkled inside gloves and socks to keep the feet and hands warm. I am not by any means trying to tell you to use it as a substitute for other remedies but I will tell you how we use it.

We make what we call “Cayenne Tea”. It is not technically a tea but it is made with warm water. We have used this for years as a sore throat remedy. Cayenne kills strep so we always have it on hand during cold and flu season. It is a great item to include in your storage. Here is the simple recipe:

CAYENNE TEA
¼ c. warm water (warm enough to dissolve the honey)
¼ t. cayenne pepper
1 T. honey
1 T. lemon juice
Stir together till dissolved. Drink it quickly or gargle with it if you are brave. You may decrease the amount of cayenne for younger children.

Now what I also want to tell you about is a new product that I found out about because of using the cayenne tea. I always try to keep lemon juice on hand. I use a lot of it during the winter season. I also use it in cooking. The problem is that it is not a long term storage item. However, in doing some research , I found an alternative product that I can use in place of lemon juice and I just love it. It is not too expensive and it stores well and doesn’t take up much space. It is called “True Lemon”. It is crystallized lemon juice powder that comes in little packets. I have used it in the cayenne tea and in other cooking projects with very favorable results. You can buy it in Fred Meyer as well as on line. If you would like to look into getting some for your storage, check out the website at www.truelemon.com. They have coupon and shipping specials and have lots of other products. Check out their website. I will talk about storing honey in another post.