Ingredients: |
Ingredients: Some people swear by a hot, red pepper tea. Mix up a batch and spray it around the border of the garden and leaves of plants in the garden. People who’ve brewed this concoction swear that unwanted critters won’t go near their tomatoes. However, this is a tactic that comes with a warning. Don’t let it get on your skin or anywhere near your eyes or mouth. Sniffing it to get an idea of its potency is not a good idea, either. Capsaicin, the hot component of peppers, can cause severe irritation upon contact. If you are going to reuse any containers in which you made the tea, clearly mark them and put them where children can’t reach them.
Here’s a hot pepper tea recipe to consider:
Start by putting on rubber gloves like the kind you might use to protect your hands while washing dishes and a long sleeve shirt.
Buy four fresh cayenne peppers, cut the tops off and throw away the green stems. Cut the peppers in half lengthwise and chop coarsely.
Place the chopped peppers and seeds in a container and add 1 1/2 cups of hot water and 1/2 cup of white vinegar. Seal tightly and let the jar sit for four days, shaking gently 2-3 times a day.
Place a strainer in a funnel and place the funnel into a spray bottle. Pour the pepper mix into the container, discarding the chopped peppers and seeds that have collected in the strainer.
Add 1 teaspoon of dishwashing liquid and 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil to the spray bottle. Screw the spray lid on tightly and gently shake the bottle to mix all the ingredients into a light emulsion.
Spray in the garden, preferably in the morning when the air is still.
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