Make Homemade Pepper Spray for Personal Defense or Gardening

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Hot pepper spray can be used for personal defense, but few people know that pepper spray can also act as a somewhat safe pesticide to protect your plants from pesky critters. Put some of that pepper spray on any vegetables or fruits you are growing. Suddenly, any pesky rabbits or grubs trying to eat your produce will be scurrying away! To create your homemade pepper spray, you are going to need the following ingredients:

• 1 gallon of water
• Fresh or dried hot peppers (10 cayenne peppers chopped finely works best, but you can use an equivalent amount of chopped jalapeno and serrano for the same effect)
• (optional) 6 cloves of garlic

To start making your homemade pepper spray, you need to start simmering your hot peppers (and any garlic you might have) for about ten to fifteen minutes. After that, add in your gallon of water, stir the mixture, and let everything simmer for thirty to forty-five minutes. This part of the process will help to infuse the spiciness of the peppers with the water. Next, remove your mixture from any heat and let it cool for at least twenty-four hours to increase the potency of the homemade pepper spray.

Once you have finished these steps, you will have your homemade pepper spray! This spray will be most effective if it is used within two to three months of its creation, but it can still be used after this period. If you are using this mix to protect the plants in your garden, fill a spray bottle with this solution and spray the leaves & stems of your crops. If you are using it for self-defense, you can still put the mix in a small spray bottle that is easy to conceal and have it ready for any potential attackers!