Growing pepper - what it is
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Pepper - sweet, bitter, spicy ...
Pepper is also called vegetable peppers, and spices are peas. In other languages, vegetable and spice are referred to differently. In particular, the black pepper adopted in botanists of Latin is called Piperand the chilli Capsicum. It's about him that we'll talk.
Aliens from America
Pepper pepper belongs to the botanical family of Solanaceae. Among his close relatives are eggplants, physalis, tomatoes, potatoes, berry nightshade sanberry. The whole company came to Europe from South America, where it was cultivated since pre-Columbian times.
It is interesting that, unlike most of the Solanaceae, acute peppers (it is often called chili) has not far gone from its wild progenitor.
In Bolivia and Peru, many wild species are still growing, which are quite suitable for use as a seasoning.
Sweet vegetable pepper with thick-walled large pods and a mild taste has been bred already in Europe, by historical standards recently, it was widely spread in the middle of the 20th century. We used to be called "Bulgarian" for a long time, now it is more often simply called "sweet pepper".
See also: Burnt (pungent) pepper - species, varieties and cultivation
Sharp, even sharper
The burning substance of chili pepper is given by the special substance capsaicin (from the Latin name of the genus Capsicum). This is an alkaloid, which, when interacting with receptors located on the skin and mucous membranes, causes severe irritation. The nerve signal is perceived by the brain as burning or pain. This causes a response in the form of edema, increased blood circulation, secretion of tears, saliva, gastric juice - in general, the body is struggling to wash away or block the irritating substance.
Different types of pepper contain different amounts of capsaicin. In 1912, the American chemist W. Scoville proposed scale for pepper stinging (of course, in units of its name). In general terms, this scale shows how many times to dilute the alcoholic extract of pepper with water so that the burning taste ceases to be felt.
In sweet pepper, the capsaicin content is considered zero. In most varieties cultivated for the manufacture of seasonings - 10 000-20 000 units. The extremely hot habanero pepper accumulates up to 350 units of hotness. But this is far from the limit! The champion is the Carolina Reaper variety, whose performance can exceed 000 million units!
Sweet, even sweeter
If chilli - rather seasoning than food, then mild pepper varieties are full-fledged vegetables that are consumed in significant quantities.
Many varieties of bell pepper taste almost fruity sweet. Nevertheless, the Sugar content in them is not too high, it rarely reaches even 3% (for comparison, in acid apples this indicator is at the level of 12-13%). Accordingly, the low calorie content of pepper is about 22-26 kcal / 100 g. The main acid in pepper is ascorbic acid, which is also
the most useful vitamin C. Ascorbicum in pepper is more than in lemons and oranges, but it tastes not too sour.
Also, pepper has a lot of carotene (provitamin A) and trace elements. Brightly colored varieties of pepper in large quantities contain anthocyanins - biologically active substances involved in hormonal and immune processes. All this makes pepper an indispensable product for dietary nutrition for medical reasons, and for those seeking to control weight.
And pepper is perennial!
In their homeland, wild peppers grow as perennial evergreen shrubs. However, even in the warm climate of Southern Europe, pepper is unable to winter, so it is grown in a one-year culture. Our summer is short, even for a full one-year cycle, so we grow pepper through the seedlings, which are beginning to be cooked in February.
But growing peppers do not know that ahead of him waiting for autumn and winter. Therefore, a carefree plant at the end of summer does not stop growing, but continues to produce new shoots, flowers, and form ovaries. So it is necessary for a truck farmer in the 2-th half of the summer to cut off all the tops and remove new flowers in order to have time to ripen the fruits that were tied up earlier.
Pepper at home
As perennial, peppers are very attractive for lovers of home gardening.
In the apartment conditions, pepper in a flowerpot is able, with good care, to live for several years, almost continuously giving new fruits. Particularly fond of decorative varieties of pepper with compact, densely leafy bushes and numerous bright fruits.
The fruits of indoor pepper are edible, but most of them have a burning taste, so they are suitable mainly for seasoning. The most famous varieties are Ogonyok, Aladdin, Salsa Orange, Shu, Little Miracle, Phoenix.
The Puansettia variety is very decorative: its narrow long fruits of red and orange are gathered in bundles and look like the petals of a large bright flower. There are among the peppers and relatively sweet: Bell, Masquerade.
However, for edible fruits, it is better to grow undersized varieties of ordinary vegetable pepper at home. A single 3-liter flower pot is enough for one bush, so you can get a good crop from the windowsill. The main thing is to provide illumination in the autumn-winter period so that daylight hours are at least 12 hours.
See also: Growing and caring for hot peppers at home
Why is pepper in the open ground tastier?
Pepper grows well in greenhouses. But the fruits grown in the open air are favorably distinguished by a bright taste, aroma, high content of nutrients. Of course, the best conditions for growing peppers are where they are warm and sunny for several months: in Moldova and Ukraine, in the Caucasus and southern Russia.
In regions with a short summer, this is more difficult to do, but with proper care and selection of zoned varieties it is quite realistic. The main thing that pepper suffers in the northern regions is a lack of sun, cold nights, August dew. Therefore, for the garden, you must choose a sunny, sheltered from the winds place. Film shelter will be needed in May-June and August. It should be closed at night, and during the day (if above 18 °) remove the film.
Capsaicin (a substance that gives pepper a burning taste) affects the receptors of mammals and insects. But at the same time it is completely safe for birds! Thanks to this in nature, the fruits safely ripen, birds peck them and carry seeds for long distances.
A variety of peppers is chosen by the cook
From sweet pepper prepare salads, hot dishes, all kinds of marinades and preparations.
In dishes, it fits well with other vegetables, meat and rice. There are both universal varieties that are suitable for preparing any dishes, and those that are used usually for specific culinary purposes. So, varieties with purple and brown fruits go only to fresh salad, with heat treatment they "spoil" the dish and lose a lot in taste.
PURPOSE: |
FERTILITY CHARACTERISTICS |
GRADE |
For fresh salads |
Fruits with very juicy thick walls, bright coloration and pronounced sweet taste. |
California miracle, Star of the East (red, yellow, orange, purple), Amethyst, Antaeus, mammoth tusks, Prince, Lemon miracle, Latino, Sweet chocolate, Rhapsody |
For stew, lecho |
Cone-shaped and long dense fruits, predominantly of red color, which do not decompose when extinguished |
Swallow, Vogdan, Cockatoo, Yellow Elephant, Ideal, Python, Anastasia |
For stuffing |
Large fruits of the cubic form, red, yellow and green, with dense skin and large internal cavity |
Gift of Moldova, Player, Pyshka, Sibiryak, Kubik, Topolin |
For marinades |
Small fruits, entirely passing in the neck of the can |
Gogoshary, Winnie the Pooh, Corvette, Zlif, Kolobok |
Universal |
Cylindrical fruit of medium size with thick walls and dense skin |
Ivanhoe, Atlant, Zorka, Amber, Health |
Below other entries on the topic "Dacha and garden - with their own hands"
- Recommended varieties of peppers and their care in the Voronezh region
- Growing pepper in the Non-black earth
- The best conditions for growing pepper seedlings
- Growing pepper in Udmurtia
- The best varieties of pepper - photo, description and name - planting and care
- Why is it important not to rush with pepper seedlings?
- How to grow large peppers - tips for gardeners
- Pepper Yellow bell and other varieties
- How I choose pepper seeds - my reviews of varieties (Tatarstan)
- Pepper seedlings - cultivation in the Middle lane (Ryazan region)
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If the peppers still young leaves have turned yellow, and the old ones are browned, I immediately understand that my handsome men do not have enough nitrogen. I'm lucky that I keep chickens and I can easily fertilize such peppers with a natural bird droppings. Well helps! Who does not have chickens, you can use nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium top dressing, preferably in a ratio of NPK 10: 10: 10. But if you just pour completely good humus, it will at least improve the soil, but the desired result for the leaves will not. I repeat: it needs nitrogen.