[Mick] Dr. Christopher discussed cayenne in his book; but his book is a brick and costs a fortune. Sam Biser wrote an exellent book called “Curing with Cayenne”; but it’s been out of print forever, and the one used copy that I found is $124. But it looks like this site has a way to read it online here >

As far as how much to have on hand, I think I have a gallon and a half of the tincture; I’d rather have too much of it (and eventually use the extra in cooking) than to need the tincture and not have enough. And once the medical system implodes, there will be a ton of people who need cayenne for one reason or another.
I wager that we’ll go through our tincture a lot faster than we think. Another thing: Cayenne pepper can be grown pretty much anywhere; even in USDA Zones 2-4, it can be grown in a container and brought indoors when it gets cold. If you want seeds, make them sure to get a variety that is at least 90,000 HU; The Carolina Cayenne from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange fits the bill.

Definitely wear gloves when pressing the tincture… especially if you’re pressing by hand without a tincture press. A mask isn’t a bad idea. If you’re using cheesecloth in the pressing process, throw it out after pressing the cayenne and start with a fresh piece with your next tinctures.