Paprika

Seasonality: january, february, march, april, may, june, july, august, september, opctober, november, december

Choosing: In the United States, paprika is defined as a sweet, dried, red powder, which may be made from any type of Capsicum annuum pepper that is non-pungent and has brilliant red color. However, in Hungary, paprika may very well be quite pungent.

Sweet Hungarian paprika is considered the best, but others are marketed with varying degrees of heat and color. It is the climate and soil that makes the Hungarian variety of capsicum (also referred to as pimiento) mild and sweet, resulting in the most desirable paprika. The quality of ground paprika also depends on whether or not the seeds and stems are ground in with the dried peppers.

Different varieties of capsicum chile pepper will produce from sweet to mild to spicy hot flavor. The peppers can be round, long or square, and may be green, yellow, orange, and/or bright red in color.

The Hungarian fruits for paprika are long and thin, as opposed to the smaller, more round ones used to make Spanish paprika. Once harvested, the fruit is completely dried and then ground into the rich, red paprika powder.

Paprika should be evenly and finely ground, with a shiny uniform color. The redder the color, the milder the paprika. Conversely, the more yellow the color, the stronger the flavor.

Buying: You can buy paprika on your nearest grocery store or your local spice house.

Procuring: There are many gardeners that grow their own paprika peppers and grind the pods to make the spices. Some of the recommended breeds to grow are Kolosca and Hungarian peppers. Kolosca is described as sweet with intense aroma. The color is orange-red when ground. Hungarian is mildly sweet with a medium red color.
Peppers need warm weather to grow. It is recommended that you sow the seed 6-8 weeks before transplanting in a high quality mix in a shallow starting tray, about 3 seeds to the inch. The potting soil temperature must be kept above 80°F (27°C) if possible to encourage germination. It is recommended to use heating cable or set pots on a water heater. The seedlings will emerge in 7 to 15 days. The plants must be kept continuously moist (but not soggy). After 15 days thin the seedlings enough to give each plant about a 2 by 2 inch area. Also if they become too large transplant them into 5 inch pots so you will not hold back their growth.
After germination, move your plants to bright sunlight and keep the soil moist. When transplanting peppers, pick a site that has full sun. Add organic matter to the soil before transplanting. In cooler climates, plant peppers through black plastic and use row covers. Keep the soil evenly moist. Use liquid fertilizer every two weeks. Space the transplants about 18 inches apart with 36 inches between rows. Once established, they are tolerant of drought.