Homegrown paprika beats the bottled spice

Sunset, March, 1998 by Lauren Bonar Swezey

If you think of paprika merely as a cosmetic - for adding a bit of color to stuffed eggs or potato salad - you probably haven't tasted the real thing. Paprika means pepper in Hungarian, and mild, thin-walled peppers are the source of the spice. Hungarian cooks use a rich aromatic version in goulash, paprikas csirke (paprika chicken), and other traditional dishes.

In America, many people "don't understand the difference between real paprika that you can grow in the garden and the musty stuff that's sold in jars," says Rosalind Creasy, landscape designer and author of Cooking from the Garden. Creasy has been cultivating paprika peppers since a seed grower convinced her that they merited a place in the garden and kitchen. She reaches for her paprika when she wants to pep up chili, chicken, eggs, guacamole, even her lima bean casserole.

Grow your own peppers from seed and you, too, can produce superior paprika. Last season, we tried four kinds in Sunset's test garden. After drying them, we ground the peppers and compared their flavors. The tasters preferred the 'Kalosca' pepper, with 'Paprika Supreme' coming in a distant second. But all four rated well above the commercial powder found on most spice racks. Here are the tasters' comments.

'Hungarian'. Mildly sweet, with medium-red color.

'Kalosca'. Unbelievably sweet, with an intense aroma. Complex flavor, lingering aftertaste. Gorgeous orange-red when ground.

'Paprika Supreme'. Sweet, intense, musky flavor like a sun-dried tomato. Dark red.

'Papri Mild II'. Very mild, with a pretty color.

SEED SOURCES

Shepherd's Garden Seeds, 30 Irene St., Torrington, CT 06790; (860) 482-3638. Sells 'Kalosca'. Free catalog.

Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, Box 170, Earlysville, VA 22936; (804) 973-4703. Sells 'Hungarian'. Catalog $2.

Tomato Growers Supply Company, Box 2237, Fort Myers, FL 33902; (941) 768-1119. Sells 'Paprika Supreme' and 'Papri Mild II'. Free catalog.

RELATED ARTICLE: Growing tips

Like other peppers, paprika types thrive in warm weather. Sow seeds six to eight weeks before transplant time. Keep the potting soil temperature above 80 [degrees] if possible (use a heating cable or set pots on a water heater). After seeds germinate, move containers into bright light and keep the soil moist.

When seedlings are ready to transplant, acclimate them to outdoor light by setting them in partial shade for a few days, then moving them into brighter light. Pick a planting site in full sun and amend the soil with organic matter. In cool climates, plant seedlings through black plastic and use row covers. Keep the soil evenly moist. Apply liquid fertilizer every two weeks.

Allow peppers to turn completely red before harvesting. Snip them off the plant and hang them to dry out of direct sun, or use a dehydrator (remove stem and seeds first), until pods turn very brittle.

Store peppers in zip-lock plastic bags in the freezer. Grind them as needed with a blender or coffee grinder. We found that a blender gives the finest grind. For a superfine powder, sift after grinding.