Sharp, but does not cut, burns, but does not shine … The bitter truth about hot pepper. Almost every person will answer the question about the popular spice – hot pepper. It is called differently – hot, capsicum, chili pepper. In the world, pepper is famous as a spice that complements any dish, giving it a sharpness and piquancy. Hot pepper is worthy of devoting an article to it.
Contents:
Characteristics of hot pepper
Bitter capsicum is a plant, 50-60 cm high, with small oval leaves and large flowers. Did you know that peppers are berries. Berries grow in various sizes: large, oblong, round, rectangular, red or green.
Inside the pods are hollow, and the flat seeds in them are the source of the burning power of pepper.
America and India are considered to be native countries of bitter pepper. Columbus introduced the spice to Europe. He brought pepper first. This spice quickly gained popularity. “Pepper bag” – so called the rich people of Europe in the Middle Ages.
In England, even an association of pepper merchants was formed. Merchants, who, due to the high demand for the spice, quickly made a fortune for themselves. And the family coats of arms of merchants were necessarily supplemented with a pepper pod.
Composition and useful properties
A bright representative of the “sharp” has properties that can work wonders. A small pod of pepper is a storehouse of nutrients.
In addition to carbohydrates and proteins, pepper contains:
- fatty acid
- essential oils
- lycopene – an antioxidant that slows down the development of malignant cells
- vitamins – beta-carotene of group A, vitamins of groups B, E, C, K, PP
- minerals – magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, calcium. As well as zinc, iron, selenium, potassium manganese
The content of vitamin C in pepper is 4-6 times higher than that in citrus fruits. For example, 100 g of lemon contains 40 mg of vitamin, and 100 g of hot pepper contains 145 mg. Due to its hotness, bitter spice successfully fights microbes and harmful bacteria, therefore it is recommended for use during colds. The capsaicin contained in pepper juice promotes active hair growth.
In addition, hot pepper stimulates the production of endorphins – these are hormones responsible for reducing stress and pain. Endorphins have a beneficial effect on the human circulatory system. The union of vitamin C and P strengthens and cleanses blood vessels. Doctors advise pepper to patients suffering from atherosclerosis, rheumatism and gout.
Scientists have proven that the use of hot pepper leads to the normalization of sleep and weight retention.
Metabolic processes are stimulated, the human body gets rid of toxins and harmful substances. Many researchers claim hot peppers fight cancer cells. Its substances interfere with the production of energy in cells affected by cancer, which leads to their death. This is not about treating cancer with pepper, but about the fact that its use is a prevention of the development of this disease.
Application
Hot peppers are respected in the cuisines of countries such as Italy, France, Hungary, India, Mexico. Most often it is added to meat and fish dishes, soups and side dishes. Capsicum is appropriate in vegetable dishes and canning.
Dry crushed pepper fruits are used as a spice.
The spice is part of many seasonings, and is also combined with spices – basil, thyme, coriander, garlic and others. Hot pepper is an excellent remedy for many diseases. It is widely practiced in folk and official medicine – pepper patch and pepper tincture are well known to everyone. External application of the warming properties of pepper helps with sciatica, joint pain and frostbite.
Hot pepper is also used in cosmetology: it is added to oils and lotions, they rejuvenate the skin of the body and make it more elastic. Quite often, pepper is part of anti-cellulite creams. Adding juice to hair care products will increase blood circulation and stimulate hair follicles.
Harm and contraindications
Along with a lot of positive qualities, you need to be careful when using hot pepper. It is strictly forbidden to use this product for people who are prone to or have gastrointestinal diseases, such as
- gastritis
- colitis
- stomach and duodenal ulcer
With such diseases, spicy lovers easily acquire heartburn, mucosal burns or bleeding. Pepper is undesirable for people who are diagnosed with hypertension, angina pectoris, arrhythmia. Its use disturbs the heart rhythm provokes a heart attack.
It is highly undesirable to eat food seasoned with pepper suffering from liver and kidney failure.
It is difficult for the kidneys and liver to cope with the function of cleaning the body, in conditions of eating spicy food. You can not use pepper for women at the time of pregnancy, during lactation, for children if there are open wounds or scratches on the skin, so as not to get burned.
Healthy people should also be careful, because when hot pepper is abused, side effects occur: increased sweating, burning in the stomach, discomfort, an allergic reaction and the development of gastritis. When working with hot peppers, it is better to use rubber gloves so that there is no burn of the hands and accidental contact of the juice with the eyes or mouth.
The Best Varieties and Tips for Growing Peppers
With a variety of positive and negative properties and qualities of pepper, it is worthy of attention. And thus it causes excitement to try to grow this marvelous berry on your own. The key to a good harvest lies in the correct choice of plant variety and care for it.
Before you start choosing a variety, decide where you will grow it – in the garden, in the greenhouse or on the window in the apartment? How fast do you want to harvest? Some varieties ripen quickly, while others “pull to the last.” What yield do you want?
Many varieties produce a large number of fruits and do not have to plant a pepper plantation. Basically, varieties of hot peppers are divided into two types – savory and shrubby:
- The spicy look has a sharp and bright taste. It is usually used raw, since the peppercorns are long and it is inconvenient to dry them.
- Shrubs, on the other hand, will take root remarkably at home as an ornamental plant. Its fruits are edible, dried and added to seasonings.
Popular varieties of hot pepper:
- Cayenne pepper. A common variety of hot pepper. It is used dry and fresh in soups, vegetable or meat dishes. Let’s apply in production of ketchup.
- Jalapeno. Mexican variety. Medium sharpness. The plant is thermophilic, therefore a greenhouse and a greenhouse are the best place for growing. The fruits are harvested green. Add to salads.
- Hungarian Wax Yellow. The variety is not spicy and not demanding. Suitable for marinating and stuffing.
- Chinese fire. The fruits of this pepper are both pickled and eaten raw. Peppercorns reach a length of 25 cm, unpretentious to growing conditions.
Let’s start landing. Experts believe that the best way to grow peppers is from seeds. Their germination, with proper care, lasts up to 3-4 years. It is advisable to start the process of growing seedlings in February, in order to plant peppers in open ground in the spring.
- Soak the seeds in water for a while. This is necessary for their best germination.
- We prepare the soil and fill it with containers for planting
- We make holes in the soil with a match or a toothpick.
- Prepared seeds are planted in containers. The desired room temperature is at least 25 degrees.
- The containers are closed with a bar and cleaned in a bright and warm place.
- When the sprouts hatch, it is desirable to reduce the temperature in the room by 2-4 degrees.
- Young seedlings require regular watering. Drying and waterlogging should not be allowed.
- Bushes that have grown up to 25-30 centimeters are recommended to be planted in open ground, where onions or carrots previously grew.
- The desired temperature by the time of disembarkation is 15-17 degrees. It is better to do this on a cloudy day, or in the evening, avoiding direct sunlight.
- The seedlings are removed from the containers along with the soil and the holes are planted. The wells are watered abundantly. The size of the hole should roughly match the size of the container. Preferably not seedlings with bare roots.
- The landing scheme corresponds to the size of 40cmx50cm. These distances increase or decrease, depending on the variety of pepper, the larger the bush, the wider the distance between the seedlings.
The first few days after planting the seedlings in the ground, the pepper looks sluggish. This is because the root system suffers during transplantation and the plant is stressed. It takes some time to adapt. During this period of time, the main thing is not to overdo it with watering. Waterlogging is not permissible, as the thin roots will rot. The first abundant watering is necessary a week after planting. Further care of the plant consists in periodic watering, fertilizing and weeding.
More information can be found in the video:
Watering should be done regularly. Until fruiting – once a week, during fruiting – twice. Watering is carried out under the root, without touching the leaves. More often, watering is combined with top dressing. First water the plant with water, then with fertilizer, then again with water. This will make top dressing gentle for seedlings.
If the pepper grows well and blooms, then it needs pinching.
Pin the top of the plant, then the shoots will begin to grow on the sides. This ensures a good harvest. It is realistic to collect up to 25 peppers from one bush. If the fruits have begun to be tied, leave the amount you need – remove the excess. And the plant will give its strength to the remaining fruits.
Pepper harvest time is from mid-July to October inclusive. Surprisingly, you can collect pepper without waiting for it to fully ripen. At home, the fruits will ripen and this will not affect their properties in any way. The main thing is to remove the fruits from the bush carefully and together with the stalk. You can store bitter pepper all year round, it will not lose its sharpness and pungency. And there are many storage options – the pepper is dried, ground in a coffee grinder and added during the cooking process. You can pickle peppers and freeze for the winter. Frozen pepper retains all its properties and flavor
