California Farm Summer Made Red Paprika Spice

Step 1

Wash, dry and blister outside whole peppers over open flame, peel off the blistered outer fleece. Four large peppers are enough to fill a spice jar when dried, a dried pepper weighs 15 grams.

Step 2

Destem, slice in half lengthwise, deseed and lay on cardboard in the sun, covered with fly screen, till dry, turn daily. When crisp, usually after 5 days, pulverize in grinder or food processor, save Sweet Red Paprika Powder in big glass jar.

Step 3

To make Smoked Red Paprika Powder, sprinkle regular sweet red paprika powder on half size baking sheet, make cold smoke from soaked oak wood over charcoal, put half sheet away from the fire in your grill, taste every half hour till perfect. Put in small labeled glass jar.

Step 4

To make Hot Smoked Red Paprika Powder, pulverize one teaspoon of chili powder, add three teaspoons of smoked paprika powder, pulverize together, done. Put in small labeled glass jar.

Step 5

Note: this recipe is for summer processing. In winter, we use a different method.