SERENA Dried Sweet Peppers 80g

Seedless and 100% natural — SERENA’s dried sweet peppers are exactly one thing: Bulgarian sweet red peppers, washed, seeded, and dried until deep crimson, with nothing added and nothing taken away except the water. A single-ingredient product from Kyustendil, Bulgaria, built for the Bulgarian kitchen that demands the real flavor of pepper without shortcuts.

Bulgaria’s Pepper Tradition

Bulgaria grows some of Europe’s finest sweet peppers — in particular the kapia (капия), the large, fleshy, thin-skinned sweet red pepper that is synonymous with Bulgarian autumn. From late August through October, Bulgarian households and markets are alive with the smell of roasting kapia: peppers that will become lutenitsa, kapama, stuffed and braised dishes, and — crucially — the great stores of dried peppers hung in bunches or packed into bags that will carry summer’s sweetness through the winter months ahead.

SERENA LTD, based in Kyustendil in southwestern Bulgaria, has built its entire production around this drying tradition. The company specializes exclusively in 100% natural dried fruits and vegetables, with no preservatives, no additives, and no artificial processing of any kind. Their dried sweet peppers are made from carefully selected sweet red bell peppers, cleaned and seeded by hand on inspection belts, and dried at controlled temperatures until the moisture is removed and what remains is a concentrated, intensely flavored piece of dried pepper — deep red, richly aromatic, and ready to reconstitute or grind.

How to Use Them

Reconstituted whole: Soak the dried pepper pieces in warm water for 20–30 minutes until softened and pliable. Use as a substitute for fresh or roasted peppers in slow-cooked stews (gyuvech, kapama), stuffed pepper dishes, and bean soups. The soaking liquid can be used as a pepper-flavored broth.

Crumbled directly into cooking: Add directly to soups, stews, and sauces without pre-soaking. The peppers will reconstitute as the dish cooks, releasing their concentrated sweetness and color into the liquid.

Ground into powder: For homemade sweet paprika, grind the dried pieces in a spice grinder or blender until fine. The result is a fresh-ground sweet pepper powder with substantially more fragrance and flavor than commercial ground paprika. Store in an airtight jar in a cool, dark place.

What Makes Them Special

The entire product is one ingredient. No preservatives are needed because drying is itself a preservation method — removing water eliminates the conditions that bacteria and mould require to grow. No sulphur dioxide (SO2) is added to preserve color, which means the peppers dry to their natural deep crimson rather than an artificially brightened red. No sugar, no salt, no additives: just the concentrated sweetness of the pepper itself, which registers at 29.5g of natural sugars per 100g — the inherent sugar of the fruit, intensified by drying. What you open in the bag is what the pepper was, with the water removed.

Quick Facts

✓  Type: Dried sweet red peppers, seedless (100% natural single-ingredient)
✓  Ingredient: Dried sweet peppers without seeds
✓  No preservatives • No sweeteners • No artificial colours • No added SO2 • No added sugar • No allergens
✓  Nutrition per 100g: 276 kcal • Fat 0.35g • Carbs 47.75g • Sugars 29.50g • Fibre 22.10g • Protein 9.30g • Salt 0.34g
✓  Storage: Cool, dry place; preferably airtight container once opened
✓  Brand: SERENA LTD (SERENA EOOD), Kyustendil, Bulgaria
✓  Origin: Bulgaria (imported)
✓  Net weight: 80g
✓  UPC: 3800213332304
✓  SKU: SER18

Bulgarian Serving Tip

In the Bulgarian winter kitchen, dried sweet peppers are kept ready at all times. Reconstitute a handful overnight in cold water for the slowest, deepest flavor — then stuff the softened peppers with a mixture of rice, walnuts, and dried herbs for a meatless gyuvech. Or crumble a few pieces directly into a pot of bob chorba (white bean soup) at the start of cooking: they will dissolve into the broth, turning it a warm red and adding a sweetness no fresh pepper in midwinter can replicate. For an instant homemade paprika, grind the dried pieces and use in place of commercial paprika — the difference in aroma is immediately apparent. Drizzle BALCHO Sharlan over the finished dish for the complete Bulgarian pantry combination.

Pairs perfectly with: BALCHO Sharlan Cold Pressed Sunflower Oil 1L (SKU: Bal01), Bioset Mix Fix for Pickled Vegetables 100g (SKU: SP5011).

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of peppers are used?
SERENA uses sweet red bell peppers — the same type of large, fleshy sweet pepper that is the cornerstone of Bulgarian pepper cuisine, including the kapia (капия) variety traditionally grown in southern Bulgaria. The peppers are washed, cleaned of stems and seeds, inspected for quality, and dried. The result is a deep red, seed-free piece of dried sweet pepper with nothing added.

Why are these sold without seeds?
The seedless format provides a cleaner culinary result: no bitterness from the seeds, easier to reconstitute evenly, and simpler to grind into powder. SERENA produces both with-seeds and without-seeds variants; the SER18 product stocked at Malincho is the seedless format, which is the more versatile option for most kitchen applications.

How do I reconstitute dried sweet peppers?
Soak in warm water for 20–30 minutes, or cold water for 1–2 hours, until the pepper pieces soften and become pliable. They will not return to the exact texture of fresh pepper but will be fully hydrated and ready to cook with. The soaking liquid is pepper-flavored and can be used in place of plain water or stock in the dish. Alternatively, add dried pieces directly to soups or stews without soaking — they will soften as the dish cooks.

Can I use these to make my own paprika powder?
Yes — this is one of the most rewarding uses of dried sweet peppers. Once thoroughly dry, grind in a spice grinder, high-powered blender, or mortar in small batches until fine. Sieve if needed. Store in an airtight jar away from light. The resulting powder will have considerably more fragrance and depth than commercial paprika because you are grinding from whole dried fruit rather than industrially processed powder. Since these contain no added SO2, the color will be a natural deep red rather than the bright artificially-preserved orange of some commercial paprikas.

Are these suitable for vegan, paleo, or elimination diets?
Yes. SERENA Dried Sweet Peppers contain one ingredient: dried sweet peppers without seeds. No animal products, no grains, no sugar, no salt, no additives of any kind. They are listed on the SERENA website as suitable for vegan, vegetarian, paleo, and elimination diet protocols. They also carry no allergens. Please verify current certifications directly with SERENA LTD if formal certification documentation is required.

Where can I buy authentic Bulgarian dried sweet peppers in the USA?
Malincho.com is one of the few US retailers that imports authentic SERENA dried sweet peppers directly from Bulgaria. Order online for delivery to your home or business anywhere in the USA.