Drying Chilies
Usually the peppers grown for paprika production are medium-sized and quite fleshy. They are selectively bred for colour and pungency and these properties can be further controlled by the methods of harvesting, drying and processing the fruits.
The factors mentioned above which affect the quality 0.chillies and capsicums generally apply as well to paprika varieties. The major influence on the pungency level, initial colour and colour-retention properties of ground paprika is the cultivar grown, and improvements can be achieved by sowing selected cultivars possessing the optimal combination of these quality factors and yield of pods per plant.
When harvesting, generally only fully coloured, mature fruits are picked. In many European countries, the harvested fruits are ‘cured’ for from 3 days to 6 weeks before final drying. During the ‘curing’ or ‘after-ripening’ process, the colour intensity of the pods increases and this phenomenon has been extensively studied by Hungarian chemists.
In the case of the special paprika grade, the ribs of the pericarps are also removed by means of special knives. In the preparation of all 5 grades, the seeds are placed in small bags and washed to remove the adhering matter, which is specially rich in capsaicin. After being dried they are mixed with dried pericarps, and the product is ground and sieved several times.
The two main growing areas are located in southern Hungary, one centered on Szeged, on the Tisza river on the Yugoslav border, and the other one in the neighbourhood of Kalosca, on the Danube. The products of the two areas differ from one another a little in properties owing to differences in the soil.
The fruits are harvested as they reach maturity, in September and October; 5 or 6 pickings may be necessary and hot, dry weather is desir- able during this period. At the end of October, any plants bearing immature fruits are pulled from the ground and hung up for the fruits to mature, although these fruits, when ripe, are generally considered to be of an inferior quality. The harvested ripe fruits are then ‘cured’ for up to 25 days by piling them in windrows in sheltered positions or ‘stringing’ them up from the eaves of buildings or in open-sided sheds.
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