Pimentos

[Barbee]

Mjd, if you'd like some seed, send me a PM.

[fantoma]

Those are some gorgeous looking peppers

[icelord]

Hey Barbee, when is your cookbook coming out? Have you made homemade paprika with those? They look like they would make some nice powder.

Dean

[Barbee]

Ice, no, I have never made paprika. To be honest, I only have used paprika on deviled eggs as a garnish. Now you've got me to thinking.....

[Mjdtexan]

Originally Posted by icelord

Hey Barbee, when is your cookbook coming out? Have you made homemade paprika with those? They look like they would make some nice powder.

Dean

She had a cookbook?

[Blueaussi]

I always thought of paprika as something to decorate the food with because it didn't have any taste. Then I made my own. Wow! The difference is astonishing.

[Barbee]

OK Blue, that's what I'm saying ^up there^
So how are you using your homemade paprika now that you've made your own?

And I do not have a cookbook LoLoL

[icelord]

Originally Posted by Blueaussi

I always thought of paprika as something to decorate the food with because it didn't have any taste. Then I made my own. Wow! The difference is astonishing.

Hey Blue! You know it, Homemade paprika is the best. If you have never made your own chili powder, do so it is the best with all our fine heirloom tomatoes, onions and peppers! I mix mine with cumin and use a hotter pepper for my paprika you can control the heat just with the type of pepper you use. There are many recipes that call for paprika as a flavoring agent. And if you don't have a cookbook you should, you have a real zest for common sense comfort food!
Ice

[Blueaussi]

As icelord said, you can make it from a lot of different types of pepper and adjust the heat to what suits you. I use mine on soups, baked potatoes, baked chicken, grilled pork, and anything else I can think of.

[Barbee]

Ooooh, now I gotta get some more info on making chili powders and paprikas. So you dry the peppers, then pulverize?
Walk me thru it please.
And Ice, thank you for the compliments re: cookbook. I have had lots of practice cooking due to being a farmer's wife. 3 meals a day x 30 years..if I try to figure that up, my head will explode

[Blueaussi]

Yeah, dry and pulverize. I use the blender, and if I'm grinding hot peppers, I take the blender outside. And I let it sit for a while after grinding before removing the lid. Any powder that gets aerosoled can be killer on the mucus membranes. Some folks use a coffee grinder. You can leave it course ground with flakes and seeds, or you can remove the seeds and grind it into a fine powder.

If you have some time and patience, you can use a mortar and pestle. I have a friend who swears that grinding only when you need it keeps it fresher, but I think she's just being a paprika snob.

[Barbee]

Couple of questions.
Do you use a dehydrater to dry the peppers?
How do you store the powder?

[Mjdtexan]

I have pimento seeds now. I am all excited.
<------------------waiting for spring

[Blueaussi]

If it's very humid or the peppers are thick-fleshed, as most pimentos are, I use the dehydrator. Otherwise I let them dry on the counter.

I usually store it in a canning jar. I give a lot out at Christmas as gifts, and I do pick up really small ornamental jars or bottles when I see them. I also have a standing offer to my friends, if they bring me back the bottle I gave them some pepper powder in, I will refill it.

One note, while you can make paprika from any pepper, there are paprika varieties that, in my opinion seem to be easier to grind when dry. They dry more brittle than leathery.