Dried paprika: what are the useful components of the spice, can the seasoning be harmful. Recipes for dishes that spice complements especially harmoniously.
The content of the article:
Dried paprika is a spice, which is the dried and ground fruits of the capsicum capsicum annuum. South America gave us a fragrant spice of bright red color with a sweetish and moderately pungent taste. In Europe, the seasoning appeared thanks to the travels of Columbus. The famous navigator called it "Indian red salt". Today paprika is cultivated in Hungary, Spain, Turkey and the USA. Seven varieties of spices are produced, the main characteristic of each of which is the degree of pungency. The pungency is regulated by the peculiarities of the production process. The fruit of the pepper is first dried, then the core and grains are carefully removed from it and only after that they are ground. If the manufacturer wants to make the seasoning spicier, some of the seeds are not removed. The more grains remain in the fruit, the sharper the spice will turn out.
The calorie content of dried paprika is 282 kcal per 100 g of product, of which:
Let's consider the benefits of dried paprika in more detail. On the list of beneficial effects of the spice:
Do not forget that the spice can cause allergies due to individual intolerance to the components. In this case, the use of spices in food is also not allowed.
They are also very fond of the spice in Spain, Germany, Mexico. The seasoning is added mainly to meat, it goes especially well with chicken and pork. The spice is also used in soups and vegetable salads. It is also part of the world famous barbecue sauce with a delicious taste and unsurpassed aroma.
What dishes does paprika make especially tasty? Here is a list of some of them:
At the same time, it is curious that initially the seasoning was not appreciated in Hungary. The Turks brought it to the country in the 17th century. When the latter left the Hungarian lands, the attitude towards the spice changed dramatically.
In Columbus's time, paprika was considered a fairly affordable spice: it was often replaced by black pepper, which only rich people could afford.
Handmade paprika is more appreciated, although machine-made spice looks more aesthetically pleasing. A special machine allows you to get a more homogeneous powder, but it destroys some of the useful components.
The spice is actively used in dietetics. The spice is a component of anti-obesity patches, various body shaping creams and anti-cellulite products.
Paprika is used as a natural colorant in the production of meat products, in particular sausages. The spice not only improves the appearance of the product, but also makes it more aromatic and appetizing.
Ground spice contains sugar, and therefore, when frying it without enough liquid, it can burn and become caramelized.
Watch a video about Capsicum annuum pepper:
The bright taste of ground paprika is used to create various dishes, especially if they are soups or main dishes from vegetables! Ground paprika is an excellent substitute for tomato paste and adds to the cooked food a subtle aroma of bell pepper, a reddish tint and a little oily, since the seasoning itself is a little oily.
Cooking ground paprika is difficult - it takes time and patience. From 1-1.2 kg of red bell pepper of the "Paprika" variety, about 50-80 g of bright red seasoning is obtained.
Cooking method: drying.
Total cooking time: 4-5 h
Servings: 10 .
Dried paprika has long been a popular seasoning for many dishes. It easily gives not only expressiveness to the taste of dishes, but also a beautiful orange color to broths, soups and sauces. This spice is found in many versatile blends to enhance the flavor of ready-to-eat meals.
Let's figure it out together what kind of product it is with the interesting name "paprika". All culinary specialists know that it can be bought almost everywhere: this spice is found in large quantities on the shelves of supermarkets and shops, and many manufacturers produce it. In addition, they all adhere to a certain GOST, because it is impossible to come up with anything new in drying sweet peppers. But in fact, there are many nuances in choosing a quality product. But how to make the right choice, we will tell everyone in this article.
There are many types of paprika. For the most part, housewives will answer that paprika on sale can be ground and in pieces, as well as red and green, and the latter characteristic directly depends on the color of the raw material. Some more experienced housewives will note the presence of smoked paprika. In fact, the product has many more differences. They will be discussed in the table below:
The paprika produced in Hungary is considered the most piquant and fragrant, but the most delicate is usually the product produced by the industry in America and Spain.
The chemical composition of the spice is fully consistent with the composition of sweet pepper, only more high-calorie, because moisture is completely removed from the product. But the use of paprika in cooking is limited to a teaspoon, so the product in no way can harm the figure. A level teaspoon of seasoning contains about the same amount of minerals and trace elements as in one hundred grams of fresh bell pepper.
The product perfectly retains:
The dried product contains small amounts of capsaicin, which is responsible for the taste of the seasoning, as well as essential oils that allow the product to recreate the aroma of fresh pepper when it gets into water.
The use of paprika in cooking has become widespread due to its amazing taste. Initially, the use of paprika was noted in Asian and Eastern cuisines, but now the spice is also used by Europeans. The finished product can be purchased both by weight and packaged in bags with a minimum weight of 10 grams.
Due to the fact that this product is widely used in various mixtures for preparing meat dishes, many housewives will be interested in what spices this aromatic seasoning is combined with. I would like to note that the most advantageous product manifests itself with:
Dried peppers are used in the manufacture of various marinades for meat and dressings with tomatoes or tomato paste in the composition, as well as when cooking soups and stewing vegetable stews. The latter is especially convenient in the winter season, when there is no opportunity to purchase high-quality ground pepper.
Paprika, dried in pieces, is used in canning, it does an excellent job with the functions of sweet pepper. It is used in the preparation of paprikash, goulash and homemade sausages. The seasoning can be called universal, because it goes well with:
To get the most out of the product, you should remember these rules:
Meat for barbecue and kebabs, marinated with paprika, acquires a surprisingly mild aftertaste and delicate aroma, and soups and broths, in addition to taste, acquire a golden color.
I would like to note that, despite the versatility of dried paprika, there are components incompatible with it that can completely drown out the natural qualities of the product. These foods themselves are very savory, and they are onions and cilantro.
The benefits that the use of paprika brings in the diet can be called the ability of the seasoning to optimize digestion, and the consequence of this will be that the human body will be able to more fully assimilate the nutrients from the accompanying food components. Paprika, which is regularly found in food, helps a person cope with such disorders of the gastrointestinal tract and their unpleasant manifestations, such as:
The presence of spices in food improves the functioning of the cardiovascular system, increases blood flow and prevents the formation of blood clots. Only now its use in this case should be regular.
The use of paprika along with other spices is indicated for overweight, because this product has a positive effect on metabolism and all endocrine glands. The best way to consume the product in this case is to mix it with any vegetable oil and season with this mixture of vegetable salads.
Paprika also has a positive effect on the immune system, so it can be used for medicinal purposes, adding in small portions to anti-cold tea.
Nutritionists do not recommend the use of paprika for people who have an individual intolerance to the product, as well as for those who suffer from liver and kidney disease, which is especially important in the stage of exacerbation of the disease. It is also necessary to limit the amount or temporarily stop using the seasoning for those who are susceptible to attacks of pancreatitis, chronic stomach ulcers, and angina pectoris, in order to avoid the negative manifestations of these diseases.
Cooking paprika at home is welcomed by many housewives who appreciate the naturalness of the products. There is nothing complicated in this matter. All the chefs need is a little patience. I would like to note that it is easiest to prepare dried paprika in a convection oven or in an electric dryer, but in the absence of them, you can also use a regular oven.
Experienced housewives advise to dry the pepper in a shaded, but rather hot room before drying. In a private house, it can be a summer kitchen or a gazebo, and in a city, a balcony will help solve the problem. It is not recommended to prepare bell peppers directly in the apartment due to the strong smell of the original product.
To obtain aromatic paprika, it is best to select fleshy fruits of red or green color at the stage of technical ripeness. Although the fruits of yellow peppers are tender and fleshy, they often have a less pronounced aroma.
To prepare for drying, you will need a thick needle and thick thread. String the washed and dried peppers onto a string, piercing the fruit right through the flesh at the base of the stalk, and then hang it up for about five days. The peppers should be spaced far apart. When the pepper wrinkles a little, then remove the stalks and testes from it along with the seeds, peel off the dense skin, and then cut the product into slices or strips of your choice. Keep in mind that the weight of the finished paprika will be about ten times less than the original weight of the prepared pepper!
Dry the paprika at 55 degrees Celsius in an oven or electric dryer for six hours. To avoid sticking to the baking sheet or sticking to the wire rack, spread the raw peppers on parchment paper.
Cool the finished product to room temperature, and then pour it into a tightly closed jar or paper bag and store in a dry room with a constant temperature. Most culinary experts believe that the seasoning prepared in pieces has the maximum aroma and piquancy, and therefore prefers this type of product.
If you want to get homemade paprika in powder, then grind the dried pepper in a mortar or spin it in a special mill designed for grinding seasonings, after passing it through a meat grinder with a fine grid. The resulting mass should be calcined at a temperature of 100 degrees Celsius, and then cooled to room temperature. Only in this case the product will turn out to be loose and pleasant to the touch and retain its aroma.
The use of homemade paprika for food does not differ from the use of a store analogue, only the shelf life of such a product is shorter due to the naturalness of the components and the absence of various additives from caking and clumping. But this is precisely where the beauty of a genuine product lies!
Scientists have long noted the fact that people who regularly use paprika in their diet look younger and are in good health. What we wish for you too!
Then pamper yourself with a jerky delicacy.
You will need to pick up good grade, prepare the pepper for drying, and set the desired mode. Such peppers can be stored for almost the entire cold season in several ways.
What are the benefits of dried peppers?
Dried sweet peppers keep almost all vitamins and minerals participating in the development of the body, maintaining reliable immunity and protecting against vitamin deficiency.
This is possible thanks to the complex of vitamins A, group B, C, E and PP, as well as phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, sodium and iron.
Regular use dried pepper activates the digestive system, strengthens hair and nails, improves vision.
Useful material contained in sweet pepper, normalize the work of the cardiovascular system, reduce the risk of blood clots, thinning the blood, and strengthen the walls of blood vessels.
Also, pepper brings invaluable benefits to the condition of the skin and mucous membranes.
Energy value and calorie content Dried peppers: There are approximately 118 calories per 100 grams of dried bell peppers.
How to prepare peppers for drying? First, choose the appropriate bell peppers. They should be sweet taste, with a bright red or yellow color. Make sure the vegetables not overripe, there are no wrinkles and spots on the skin. In terms of thickness, you need a juicy, fleshy pepper, with a dense layer of pulp inside.
After the vegetables have been thoroughly washed, leave them to dry slightly on a paper towel. Large vegetables are cut into quarters and medium sized vegetables are cut into halves. Thin films and seed box carefully cut out.
In some cases, it is advised to cook skinless, which will make the taste more intense and delicate.
The pepper will peel easily if Keep it in boiling water for 2-3 minutes and the same amount of time to cool in the cold. Using a knife, you can gently pick up the skin and easily peel off the pepper.
Before you start drying, you can either grease the pepper or leave it without oil at all. Will fit as usual sunflower and olive... To enhance or add a unique flavor to the pepper, use different spices... Sprinkle the slices with salt, black pepper, or red pepper. You can also add marjoram or dried basil to taste. About what you can learn from our article.
Just about any blend of aromatic herbs for cooking can make a dried pepper recipe. unique... If you sprinkle a small amount of pepper Sahara, from this it will become even sweeter and more piquant. Thin slices of chopped garlic can be placed in the notches of the pepper to add sharpness.
How to cook dried peppers at home for the winter? Various types of household appliances can be used, one of which is oven.
Better to use electric oven as it heats up faster and more evenly. An oven and electric dryer.
At what temperature should pepper be dried? Dry pepper optimally at maximum moderate temperature, which depends on the power of your technique.
On average, the temperature should be set first at 75-80 degrees, then, after one and a half to three hours, increase to 100 degrees... After that, the pepper is briefly pulled out on a baking sheet or wire rack for cooling (for 20-30 minutes), and returned back to the oven for additional 40 minutes or an hour.
How to determine readiness? In appearance, the pepper is slightly darkens, a mesh will appear wrinkles on the skin, and the pulp is about one third will become thinner.
The slices will turn out to be dried, elastic to the touch, but not too hard. If you overexposed pepper, it will be excessively dry and brittle, and almost all the moisture will evaporate.
If the pepper has not yet gained flexibility and has not lost enough mass, leave it to cook for a while. for 20-30 minutes in the oven.
How to make jerky peppers in the oven? At the lowest heat, if there is such a function, set the mode "Convection" or ventilation... It is necessary that the air circulates freely inside, and the excess moisture is unhindered. evaporated... A slightly open oven door is fine for this, and condensation will not accumulate inside.
It is laid out on a baking sheet parchment paper, which can be soaked in oil if desired. The peppers are placed with their peel down, forming small "boats" so that the seasonings remain inside.
WITH ajar door pepper is dried for an hour and a half, cools briefly, then warms up again in the oven for 40 minutes.
Do not immediately remove the pepper from the oven - leave it inside for a while. It is better to preserve dried peppers when it is completely cooled down.
How to cook dried peppers in an electric dryer? The sliced pepper is laid out in one layer on a special grid or wire rack, so that there is little space.
The product must not be allowed stuck together or burnt- once in half an hour you need to stir and turn the slices. Desired temperature during cooking - 75 degrees... With active airflow and careful supervision, the pepper will be ready after 3-4 hours.
How to make jerky bell peppers for the winter in the microwave? Microwaving peppercorns is a difficult process.
A vegetable needs access to fresh air so that the pepper does not boil in its own juice, but is systematically deprived excess moisture.
First, the pepper is washed, cut into slices and cleaned of seeds and thin partitions. Sprinkle a little over the pepper oils and put in a deep bowl, put in the microwave.
You can cook on maximum power in several runs for five minutes. After the first five minutes, the pepper is removed, and excess juice merges into a separate bowl.
Give the pepper some cool off, then repeat the process a few more times, bringing the product to full readiness. Don't forget to pour out any juice that comes out.
How to cook jerky peppers at home? The most common cooking option is dried peppers in oil for the winter.
Dried peppers for the winter recipe: it is prepared as with the standard scheme, but each piece of pepper is generously greased with olive or sunflower oil.
Bell peppers sun-dried in oil - photo:
Watch a video recipe for drying peppers and tomatoes:
How to store dried peppers for the winter? Pepper can be stored in the same oil in which it was cooked, which will allow keep all the rich taste dishes. In a small sterilized glass jar the dried pepper slices are tightly folded and completely poured vegetable oil(sunflower or olive).
Make sure the oil 2-3 cm exceeds the level of tamped peppers to block access to air.
The resulting banks should be kept in fridge and use as needed. The resulting dried product is simply irreplaceable in the preparation of salads or pizza, can be used ready-made, and also used as a decoration for meat and fish dishes.
Dried peppers are a good snack on their own.
Competently cooked dried peppers will be the guarantor tasty and healthy food, which is especially important during the spread of viral diseases.
Pepper will be stored in the refrigerator a little longer if you add a tablespoon to the top of the jar with oil vinegar.