Paprika has flavor !!!

We've been expanding the farm into more areas where local chefs might find interesting enough to visit.  I had my first fresh paprika today.  Oh wow it was flavorful.  I had no clue.  The powdered stuff you buy in the store seems to add only color.  Its the stuff you often see sprinkled on deviled eggs.  That powder has nothing on fresh peppers.  I had no clue.  I have only had one of the five variety we have growing, but it was sweeter than most bells and an almost roasted taste.  Not sure how to describe that bell sweet flavor, but sure folk know what I mean.
 
Paprika is good stuff when done right but I've never had chance to try it fresh. Will look into it on your reccomendation.
 
I was using some of my own paprika in a recipe, can't remember which, and I had to cut the amount way back because it made the dish too sweet.
 
I live in kind of a foody town and the chefs around here have all the local farmers on lock. Whenever something is ripe the chefs get first no matter what, it seems like a really good gig for the farmers.
 
Are you hooked up with anyone in kentucky yet?
 
I'm growing paprika (pcr paprika to be exact) and totally agree. Amazing flavour both fresh and dried. Really wish I'd started more than 3 plants now.
 
Gorizza said:
I live in kind of a foody town and the chefs around here have all the local farmers on lock. Whenever something is ripe the chefs get first no matter what, it seems like a really good gig for the farmers.
 
Are you hooked up with anyone in kentucky yet?
 

Friend who is a chef had serious open chest surgery.  He doesnt think he can go back to work.  So plan is since he can walk the walk and talk the talk, he will be visiting folk with fresh produce for them to sample.  Lower stress, Less work.  If it is going to work, I think my job is going to be making the farm more welcoming.  Wow the places I have seen that have visitors look great.
 
I grow and dry Feher Ozon for paprika. It's awesome. Use it a lot on eggs, roasted chicken, paprikash...
 
I've grown a couple other paprika peppers and I like this one best. It has more kick than the others, but still with a nice, rich, smoky paprika flavor.
 
Plan is to dry and powder to see if the flavor holds, but i am sure it will.  The problem with most commercial powders is that when you get something that small, so much surface is available to oxidation.  Who knows how long that stuff is on the shelf.  Kind of the difference between grinding pepper corns before use and buying already ground pepper  So very much difference.

Then again, here in the KY state we even prefer our whiskey new (and in mason jars).
 
Is paprika a special variety of pepper? In some languages paprika is the word used for any sweet pepper but I thought the English word was used exclusively for the powder.
 
Now that the growing season is drawing to a close, I'm curious how your Paprikas turned out.
 
Did any of them stand out?
 
How did they handle the summer heat? (Or do you even really get that much summer heat in Kentucky?)
 
Grew SZ-20 and SZ-80,  Both did the same thing.  They produced like crazy and then just sort of stalled.  Not sure if it is the weather or just their nature.  Didnt observe flowers forming and dropping after the first wave.  Had gourds finish up really early this year.  Might be because we kept going hot, cold, hot, cold all year long.
 
I don't know what the name paprika is used for but in our area all bell peppers and other non hot annuum varieties are all called paprika.
 
MarcV said:
I don't know what the name paprika is used for but in our area all bell peppers and other non hot annuum varieties are all called paprika.
 
Yes, I think the word Paprika just means sweet pepper.  When buying seed, the type is always specified like like Alma Paprika or Szegedi. When buying powder not so much.  But there are a few that are more traditionally used in powders than others.  I am sorry if I onruwe by using an abbreviation for Szegedi.  I can never remember how to spell it.
 
 
You know what I would love to see you have is some aleppo peppers as they can be difficult to find. Man I bet if you would move a lot of those
 
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