Choose ripe red peppers, preferably sweet peppers or pimientos
Wash and dry the peppers thoroughly
Remove stems, seeds, and membranes if desired
Smoke the peppers slowly over low heat using hardwood smoke
Keep the smoke gentle to avoid burning the peppers
Smoke until the peppers are fully dried and deeply infused with smoke flavor
Cool the smoked peppers completely
Grind the dried smoked peppers into a fine powder
Sift the powder for a uniform texture
Store the smoked paprika in an airtight container away from light and heat