What does a black pepper plant look like. White peppercorns culinary use and useful properties

It is fragrant, fragrant and moderately burning. If, of course, compared with ground chili pepper, it loses a little in the fiery taste, but wins in the subtle facets of aroma. This is black peppercorns, the most common spice of housewives around the world. Despite its availability, many people want to grow the “king of spices” on their own from seeds, looking at the unique “thread-whips” of the finished product in the photo. What is needed for this? Learn about simple rules sowing and special cultivation!

Brief "biography" of the king of spices, or who he is, what and where

Homeland of black pepper - India (Malabar coast). In its forests, pepper is a wild crop, a liana plant. Its length is 10-15 m, life expectancy is up to 50 years. The spice is specially cultivated on the island of Sumatra, Java, Brazil, Borneo, Sri Lanka, where the plant is specially inhibited in growth, supported on special spacers so that the already prepared fruits do not lie on the ground.

Black peppercorns are not only the most popular spice in Latin American countries, but also a plant that has healing properties. It helps to cope with colds and is effective in cardiovascular diseases, as well as some diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Thanks to its chemical composition, the "king of spices":

helps the body to more easily deliver nutrients;
is an antioxidant, and is also able to cope with problem skin;
stimulates digestion, while eliminating bloating, colic;
has antibacterial properties;

For planting you need to choose high-quality seeds

destroys fat cells, that is, it helps those who strive for a slim figure in losing weight.

But despite medicinal properties, our gardeners want to grow pepper in the country to add to the prepared dishes. It can be purchased at the store in any quantities, but growing it yourself is unique and entertaining. And a plentiful harvest will last more than one year!

Attention! If you eat white pepper - grow black, it's the same thing. Black pepper undergoes a special treatment, during which the black (the one that then becomes shriveled) “skin” is removed from it.

Black pepper: where to get seeds and how to sow

You cannot buy black pepper seeds in a specialty store, but you can buy it in a simple supermarket. It is worth choosing the packer, TM, which you trust the most. Having opened the bag, you should choose the largest seeds from the seeds. And then - proceed to pre-sowing processing and sowing.

Black pepper is a culture from the tropics, therefore, it is thermophilic. Therefore, seeds can be sown in open ground only at the end of May-beginning of June, on the windowsill in a bowl - only after making sure that the growth temperature is 25-30ºС.

Allspice sprouts

To grow seedlings from peas, you need:

prepare the seeds. To do this, they need to be filled with hot water (60ºС) for 24 hours. Water can be changed after complete cooling;
mix the soil: 4 parts of sheet, 3 - sod, 2 - humus and 1 part of sand, tamp a little in a box or bowl, moisten;
sow peas according to the scheme 1x1 cm to a depth of 2 diameters of peas, compact, water;
keep the box in a warm and bright place, moisten as needed;
wait for shoots on the 21-28th day.

At the stage of 2-3 true leaves, the sprouts should be picked into separate cups or cassettes with large cells. And decide where the pepper will grow during the warm period - in the garden or containers in the house. When choosing the first option, do not forget about the necessary digging of pepper and transplanting into a pot for wintering in comfortable conditions.

Attention! Due to the fact that pepper is a heat-loving plant, a temperature of 10ºС is fatal for it. There is nothing to say about short autumn frosts.

Care for black pepper, or "pitfalls" of competent cultivation

A bush of black pepper, planted in a huge tub, one that is scrupulously looked after, can please with a harvest for more than one year (8-12 years). But it is worth remembering that the crop can only be harvested in the second year of the plant's life. Enjoy green or black peas, pick, dry in vivo and enjoy the pungency and aroma. By the way, these indicators depend on care: a sufficient amount of moisture and sun.

But to get a harvest, you still need to work hard. And here it is worth remembering that it is dangerous for the plant:

excessive moisture, from which the leaves may turn yellow. Developing chlorosis should be treated with iron chelate purchased in solution. Prevention - several times per season;

Allspice fruits

minimum sunlight. The result is elongated internodes, a weak and unhealthy plant that is unlikely to give a good harvest. Therefore, for pepper - the most sunny place at home, especially winter period time. With an excess of light, the plant dries out, so it's worth looking for best option by trial and error;
abundance / insufficiency of dressings. Pepper should receive all the necessary substances and micro-, macroelements, so it is worth using cow dung, bird droppings, nitroammophoska, other fertilizers and preparations for "feeding".

In winter, during the dormant period, the vine should be watered rarely, not moved from place to place. With awakening - feed, during flowering, use preparations with boron for good fruit set.

It turns out that it is possible to grow peppercorns. The only condition is the observance of light and temperature conditions. And peas in in large numbers secured!

How black pepper grows: video

White, black, green, red pepper - all these are spices from one plant, collected in different time or processed with slight differences in technology. The culture is widely used in cooking, folk medicine, and cosmetology. Black pepper grows well indoors or in greenhouses, and in mild climates it can be grown in open ground summer.

Origin and description of culture

The homeland of the spice is the southwestern coast of India called Malihabar. The name of the area was translated as the land of pepper. Today this state is called Kerala. From India, the Malabar berry (by the name of its growth - the Malabar Islands) spread to Indonesia, then to other countries in Southeast Asia. Further, black peppercorns were brought to Africa, America, Europe.

About 600 cultivars are known external characteristics. Often it is herbaceous, with a creeping stem or shrub species, but there are trees with an upright trunk. Flowers unisexual or bisexual, small, inconspicuous, collected in cobs singly opposite the leaves or 2-3 in their axils. The resulting fruit is a drupe, characterized by a burning taste. The sharpness of the spice depends on the amount of piperine, and the aroma depends on the concentration of essential oils.

Botanical description

Tropical tree vine of the Pepper family reaches a height of 15 m in natural conditions. The leaves are ovate, grayish-green in color, leathery, 8-10 cm long. The flowers are small, white color, collected in hanging ears of 7-10 cm. After them, fruits are formed in the form of a ball with a hard shell, at first green, and as they ripen, they become brown.

Unripe red peas are used as a raw material for the production of spices.

One spikelet 8-14 cm long consists of 20-30 drupes 3-5 mm in diameter. The roots are aerial, formed at the nodes. Fruiting in natural environment habitat 2 times a year, the life of the plant is 25-30 years.

How black peppercorns grow

Liana wraps around trees, using them as a support. When cultivating, the creation of special props in the form of poles is required. At home, you need to think about more complex structure so that the plant does not take up much space on the windowsill. In nature, it feeds through the air root system, when growing at home, a favorable nutrient medium is created in the soil mixture. The first fruits of black peppercorns can be obtained in the 2nd-3rd year of cultivation.

Where does black pepper grow?

The natural distribution area is tropical rainforests. Most black pepper is grown in India, countries South-East Asia, Australia, Brazil. Can be cultivated everywhere when created favorable conditions, but dies at a temperature of + 10 ° C, which must be taken into account when trying to grow in the country. Open ground is rarely used, it is better to immediately plant in a heated greenhouse or at home.

Features of growing on the windowsill

The culture is thermophilic, does not tolerate temperature changes, is very demanding on environmental conditions. Care is to maintain the main indicators (light, heat, moisture) at the proper level. You can use specialized equipment (growbox for cultivating exotic varieties), but it is very expensive.

To grow black pepper at home, you need:

create favorable conditions - heat, high humidity, good lighting;
select high-quality peas for sowing, process for early germination;
prepare the container and soil;
plant in compliance with agrotechnical recommendations;
if necessary, carry out top dressing;
harvest when ripe.

Growing conditions

Plants need to create environment close to the tropics. Growing black pepper at home requires high humidity and air temperature +20-30°C. Peppers love lighting, long daylight hours, but they do not tolerate exposure to direct sunlight. Drying out of the soil will negatively affect development, constant waterlogging will lead to death. When cultivating, focus on recommendations for orchids, both cultures grow in the natural environment under the same conditions.

By appearance you can determine what is missing pepper:

leaves turned yellow - excessive moisture;
weak, diseased plant with elongated internodes, cessation of fruiting - lack of sunlight;
the bush dries - an excess of lighting;
the tips of the leaves are brown - lack of water and air humidity.

Selection and preparation of seeds

planting material can be purchased at any grocery store. You should pay attention to the expiration date, the product must be collected no more than a year ago. Only large black peas can germinate, so you need to choose high-quality products, dried without violating technology and using chemicals that increase shelf life.

To grow black pepper from seeds, they need to be prepared. Soak for a day at a temperature of + 50 ° C, periodically changing the water. Remove pop-up, small, damaged specimens. You can additionally keep the seed material in a growth stimulant solution in accordance with the instructions for use.

Tank and soil preparation

It is better to immediately choose individual pots for growing, picking and an extra transplant for young seedlings is useless. Wash the containers, treat with a disinfectant, and dry. Holes must be made in the bottom to remove excess liquid, 1-2 cm of expanded clay, broken slate or crushed stone are poured as drainage. Pick up a wide pallet, pour expanded clay or peat into it, fill it with water. When it evaporates, the humidity of the air will increase.

It is better to purchase a ready-made soil mixture, soil for orchids is suitable. At self assembly mix leaf and sod land, add well-dried river sand. Before use, such soil can be kept for several hours in an oven at + 70-80 ° C for disinfection.

organic fertilizers are not required, mineral complexes for orchids can be used for top dressing during care.

Seeding technology

For planting, it is better to choose the end of May - the beginning of June, but a working battery will help create optimal conditions, so the timing can be any. Use an individual container for 1-2 plants, in accordance with this, select its size. Do not deepen the seeds too much, 2 diameters of the prepared pea is enough. Moisten the surface of the soil with a spray bottle, cover with glass or a bag on top. The first sprouts of black pepper will appear in 3-4 weeks. All this time, ventilate, water as needed. When the seedlings hatch, remove the covering material.

Watering mode

When growing black pepper, you need to create high humidity air, so spray 2 times a day warm water. Make sure there is always liquid in the pan. Water as needed, don't over water. Under natural conditions, the liana clings to trees with air roots, so it is not used to stagnant moisture. Use distilled water for the procedure room temperature not cold. In winter, watering can be slightly reduced.

top dressing

As fertilizers, it is desirable to use complex mineral solutions for orchids. Sometimes it is recommended to add organic matter, but in nature no one feeds the liana with cow dung. For this reason, the maximum that is required is watering with herbal infusion prepared according to folk recipes. Excess nutrients negatively affects the growth and development of culture, as well as lack. It is enough to carry out the procedure 2 times a year.

Harvesting

You can get black peppercorns by collecting unripe red fruits in the 2-3rd year of cultivation. Harvest dry in the sun for about a week until completely dry, acquiring a specific black color. Green pepper collected even more immature and also dried, characterized by a more pronounced aroma. The white variety is made from black peas. To do this, pour water for 6-7 days, peel, dry well. The spice is softer, without a strong spiciness.

Keep harvested crop in paper bags, folded into plastic containers with a lid, or glass, tightly closed containers.

Black pepper is quite possible to grow at home or greenhouse conditions. The culture is perennial, with proper care it produces a crop 2 times a year. The difficulty lies in creating favorable conditions similar to the climate of tropical rainforests.

Have you ever wondered what a black pepper plant looks like? This is a very long winding liana, reaching 15 meters in nature. And it grows, wrapping around tree trunks, in such warm countries as India, China, Brazil, Indonesia. It is there that black peppercorns, which we used to buy in small bags, are grown as a food crop on an industrial scale.

Peppercorns grow on these vines in large clusters, and are themselves drupes, and not seeds enclosed in fruits, as in bell pepper. These are completely different types of plants.

When grown on plantations devoid of trees, special supports are installed for pepper vines no more than five meters high to facilitate harvesting. Such plantations exist not only in the countries listed above, but also in other regions with a suitable climate. But most of all piperine, which is responsible for the spicy taste, and essential oils, due to which the pepper has a specific aroma, is found in the fruits of Indian (Malabar district) and Indonesian (Sumatra island) pepper.

Video - Black pepper production

Types of pepper

If you are familiar with other types of seasonings in the form of dry peas, then you will be interested to know that they are all fruits of the same plant, only processed in different ways. The processing method affects the color and size of the peas, as well as the degree of sharpness.

The most popular black peppercorns are unripe green peppers, slowly dried in the sun or in special dryers. Before that, they are briefly immersed in hot water to release from the pericarp. After drying, the shell of the grains becomes black or dark brown. This type of pepper is the hottest and most fragrant. It is used both as a whole and in a hammer.
Softer white peppers are produced in Southeast Asia. To obtain it, they are waiting for the full ripening of the fruits, which turn red. Then they are collected and soaked in water for two weeks. Then the softened shell is removed, exposing the white core, which is dried. Since it is the shell that contains the largest amount of essential oils and piperine, white pepper loses its strong sharpness and pungent odor. It is used to prepare delicate white meat and fish dishes, as well as some types of dough.
White pepper is a ripe fruit without a shell.
Green pepper, like black pepper, is harvested unripe, but dried in a special way to preserve the color. It turns out softer, with a pleasant refreshing aroma.
Red peppers are fully ripe drupes with a sweetish shell, placed in brine. It is used only as a whole, unground form to decorate dishes.

Note. Red ground pepper is not related to the described culture. It is obtained by grinding chile peppers into powder.

Growing at home

Pepper liana is a very thermophilic plant. It does not tolerate cold and dies when the temperature drops to +10 degrees. Therefore, in our latitudes, trying to grow it in open ground is an impossible task. But in the conditions of an apartment it is quite realizable. And 2-3 years after planting, you can wait for fruiting.

Whether it is necessary is another question. From the point of view of economic feasibility, it is unlikely, because this spice costs a penny in stores. If you want to experiment, then why not? There are many exotic lovers among flower growers; growing such a liana can be a pleasure for them. If you are interested, below is a detailed instruction on how to grow black peppercorns at home.

seeds

You will not find seeds of this plant in gardening stores. Go to the grocery store and buy black peppercorns in the spice section. We will plant him. But before buying, be sure to look at the release date on the bag. If the pepper is packaged more than 12 months ago, it is unlikely to sprout.

Note! Germination has only black pepper. It is useless to plant white, green, and even more so red.

To determine germinating grains, fill them with warm water. The ones that pop up can be thrown away. The rest are left in water for a day in a warm place for better germination. Of course, not all seeds will sprout, so you can plant everything, and then choose the strongest sprouts.

Priming

Pepper with its "airy" roots, with which in nature it clings to tree trunks, grows best in purchased soil for. It passes both water and air well. If you are unable to purchase it, prepare soil mixture from the following components:

4 parts of sod land;
2 parts of leaf land;
1 part of humus and sand.

Because best time for planting this plant - the beginning of summer, then it will not be difficult to find all the components.

Before filling the pot with this mixture, make sure there are drainage holes in the container, and about a quarter fill it with broken shards, crushed stone or expanded clay. This is necessary for removal from the roots excess moisture. Pepper loves her very much, but does not tolerate stagnation.

Landing

It is best to plant peppers in late spring or early summer, so that the warm period favorable for seedlings lasts as long as possible. And young plants could be taken out on Fresh air. Immediately after planting the grains, it is advisable to wrap the pot with a film or cover with glass to provide a greenhouse effect. And every day to air and water. Under such conditions, seedlings should appear in 3-4 weeks.

Pepper liana prefers to grow in bright areas, but not in direct sunlight. Therefore, when choosing a place for it, it is better to give preference to windows facing east, west and adjacent directions. If there are none in the apartment, consider the following recommendations:

when located on the southern window of the landing, it should be shaded by placing tulle, gauze, other thin fabric between them and the glass or sticking tracing paper on the glass;
if the window faces north, the plant on it will be uncomfortable without additional lighting. You will have to install a phytolamp or a fluorescent lamp.

The ideal temperature for plants in summer period is the range between 25 and 30 degrees. In winter, it is enough to maintain 16-18, as this is a dormant period.

Care

Caring for a tropical liana is easy. Under normal conditions, it develops well and practically does not get sick.

The basic rules for care are:

abundant watering throughout the warm season. It is not necessary to fill in to the "swamp", it is enough to keep the soil in a slightly damp state and not let it dry out. During the dormant period, watering can be halved;
daily spraying with soft water - rain, melt or settled and filtered. In winter, spraying is continued if it is not possible to reduce the air temperature. If it keeps no higher than 20 degrees, one procedure in 7-10 days is enough;
top dressing every 2-3 weeks. Complex compounds dissolved in water can be used mineral fertilizers according to instructions. But if there is such an opportunity, at least occasionally it is worth watering the vine with bird droppings, diluted in a large amount of water and filtered. From October to the end of March, fertilizers can not be applied at all;
Transplant as it grows into a larger pot. Pepper does not grow too fast, so a transplant is required first in a year, and then no more than once every couple of years. It is important not to damage the roots, so transplantation is carried out together with a lump old earth transshipment method;
the installation of supports is mandatory, they are necessary for seedlings for normal development. In an apartment, creepers rarely grow longer than two meters.

At good care fruits on young plant may appear in two or three years. And you will have the opportunity to get your own spices in the form of white or black peppercorns. How to bring them to the desired condition is described above.

Growing mistakes

With improper care or non-compliance with the mode of maintaining temperature, light or humidity, the plant gives clear distress signals. You just need to be able to take them apart.

Table. The reaction of the plant to improper care

On a note. But if white convex dots resembling eggs appear on the wrong side of the leaves, you should not worry. For pepper vines, this is normal.

Application and storage of black pepper

Regardless of whether you bought black peppercorns or grew them yourself, you need to store it by pouring it into a tightly closed glass container. It best preserves the original aroma and taste properties. If you need to add ground pepper to the dish, then it is better to grind it just before use in a special mill.

You have probably noticed more than once how much weaker the aroma of ground pepper bought in a store. This is due not only to the weathering of essential oils from the product, but also to the fact that, in addition to pepper itself, foreign components, including dirt and dust, may be present in the powder. special flavor and the sharp taste of black pepper is most appreciated by culinary specialists. They add it whole and ground in a variety of dishes and products:

meat and fish;
sausages;
soups;
sauces;
canned foods;
some drinks (for example, mulled wine).

The presence of this seasoning in the dish stimulates the appetite and improves digestion. Of course, if it is added in a small amount. Because piperine in large doses can corrode the walls of the stomach and duodenum. For this reason, black pepper should not be added to dishes for people suffering from gastritis, stomach ulcers and other diseases. gastrointestinal tract. Spicy dishes with these spices and hypertensive patients are not recommended.

Video - How black peppercorns grow

Growing peppercorns at home can be seen more as a hobby rather than a need to get a popular spice. But to the sweet and hot pepper the attitude is completely different, because to provide yourself with this tasty and useful vegetable not difficult at all. How to grow pepper seedlings and achieve good harvest, can be read at .

Today, such a product as black pepper is available in every household. It costs mere pennies and can be found in any grocery store. It's hard to believe, but the Arab tribes once had a monopoly on the sale of black pepper in Europe. And the product cost so much that it served as the equivalent of money, and the rich gave it as a dowry to their daughters. What is hidden in black pepper such that in the Middle Ages people embarked on a long and dangerous journey just to get a bag of black berries? Why is this spice so valued? The benefits and harms of black pepper will be the topic of our article.

plant description

The perennial evergreen liana received the Latin name Piper nigrum from botanists. And in translation it means "black pepper". Thus, it becomes clear that the most valuable thing in the plant is not the stem (which can reach a length of 15 meters) and not the dark green leathery leaves, but the berries. In the wild, there are about one and a half thousand varieties of pepper. But only ten of them are used as spices, and, therefore, cultivated.

On plantations, the vine is limited in growth to four meters. Black pepper berries, the benefits of which we will consider here, are harvested unripe when they have a green or yellowish color. This plant is native to South India. Now the liana is grown in many countries with a tropical climate. This explains the cheapness of the product. But the best is still Indian pepper, or rather, from the province of Malabar. It is not as hot as, for example, Malaysian, but very fragrant. Indonesian black pepper is also in demand. If the peas are light brown, they are from Vietnam. There is little aroma in them, but there is more than enough burning.

Types of peppers

Let's say right away: the sweet Bulgarian kind, sometimes called paprika, has nothing to do with Piper nigrum, and with other peppers too. This plant belongs to the nightshade family. And a relative of bell peppers are eggplant, tomato and potatoes. And, in fact, Piper nigrum is used as a spice in different types. Unripe berries are dried and packaged. This is black peppercorns. The benefits and harms of this product are the same as those of its ground counterpart. Crushed berries should be stored in an airtight container, as the aromatic qualities of the spice disappear within a few months.

Even in cooking, white, green (these varieties are less hot) and red peppers are used. For the final spice, the berries are picked fully ripe. Therefore, red pepper has the most pungency. If we talk about the black variety, then the peas should be no more than five millimeters in diameter. Their skin is dry and wrinkled. Ground black pepper should have a dark gray hue and a very strong, characteristic aroma.

Chinus fruits are widely used in perfumery. This is the name of the pink variety of pepper.

Penetration into Europe

Alexander the Great, with his campaigns in India in the 4th century BC, discovered black pepper for ancient Greece. benefit and especially taste qualities Europeans immediately appreciated this product. The Greeks even presented black pepper as a sacrifice to the gods. In the Roman era, the product, like salt, served as the equivalent of money.

In the Middle Ages, black pepper was also highly valued, as Arab merchants controlled the route to India. The high cost of the product was also explained by the fact that there can be berries on one bunch of creepers varying degrees maturity. And the plant began to bear fruit from the age of three. "Piper Nigrum" is a very whimsical liana. It requires not only a hot climate, but also special lighting. By the way, black pepper was the first spice that Russian people began to use in their cuisine. And the spice was so well liked that now it is added to all dishes, except for desserts and drinks.

Composition of dry unripe Piper nigrum berries

Now we know what black pepper is. The benefits of this product are due to its composition. What microelements are contained in Malabar berries? These are proteins, fats, carbohydrates, fiber, alkaloids, essential oils, resins and vitamins. The unique substances piperidine and piperine are responsible for the sharpness of black pepper. Surprisingly, berries contain a lot of starch - up to 60 percent of the total chemical composition. Of the vitamins in black pepper, there are A, B (1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 9), PP, E, K and C. Moreover, there is more ascorbic acid in Piper Nigrum than in oranges. But since black pepper is used in minimal doses, the spice cannot be regarded as the only source of vitamin C. Of the minerals, calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, zinc, copper, selenium and fluorine are present in the product. Such a rich composition allows black pepper to be one of the most healthy seasonings. There are not so many contraindications to its use. But we will list them anyway.

Ground black pepper: benefits and harms

Chefs know the secret: this spice increases appetite. In addition, it stabilizes the process of digestion. Before exams, students and schoolchildren should lean on black pepper, as it increases blood circulation in the brain and thereby stimulates mental activity, strengthens memory. This spice is an excellent antidepressant. It also thins the blood and lowers cholesterol, being a product for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. The spice has a mild laxative effect. It cleanses the body of toxins. With a cold, black pepper is good as an expectorant and It has been noticed: those who love seasoning suffer less from cancer.

But this product also has negative qualities. Black pepper should not be abused by people with gastric or intestinal ulcers, disease urinary tract with hypertension and anemia. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should also keep the spice in their diet to a minimum. If you are going to take urine and blood tests, then the day before you should refrain from eating black pepper. Spice Can Significantly Affect Results laboratory research and therefore the diagnosis will be incorrect.

Black pepper and harm

In principle, these are the same berries, only whole. They have the same chemical composition, which means both beneficial and harmful qualities. But there is also specificity. After all, peppercorns in gastronomy are used differently than ground product. We put whole berries in marinades, homemade preparations. Therefore, some spice substances are transferred to related products, while others are not.

In folk medicine, they mainly use tincture of berries in alcohol or vodka. This tool is great for pain in the joints and spine. Rub the lower back with tincture - and sciatica will be removed as if by hand. The benefits of black pepper for men are undeniable. If you often eat spice in food, you can increase sexual potency. Peppercorns also serve as a prophylactic against prostate adenoma and even treat the early stages of this disease. And if you grind the berries and mix the powder with sugar in a one-to-one ratio, then such a folk drug will increase (though only for a while) your male potency.

black pepper and weight loss

Have you noticed that the inhabitants of Southeast Asia, where spicy dishes are in honor, are slender. It turns out that black pepper helps fight excess weight. The benefits of spices in the difficult fight against unwanted kilograms have been verified scientific research. Responsible for the burning properties of the seasoning, the substance piperine, as well as others chemical compounds destroy fat cells and remove it from the body. But it should be remembered that the optimal dose of black pepper is 4 grams per day.

There are several recipes for using spices for weight loss. First, every morning you need to drink a glass of fat-free kefir, seasoned with a pinch of black pepper. And in the evening, prepare a cocktail of vegetable juice (cucumber, tomato, half paprika). The drink should also be seasoned with a pinch of black pepper. Such a diet, of course, should be practiced by people with a healthy stomach.

Black pepper in folk medicine

As soon as this spice appeared in Russia, healers immediately adopted it. The benefits of black in the treatment of skin diseases are known. If you mix the spice with soy flour in equal proportions and olive oil, then this substance can cure lichen.

The antimicrobial properties of ground black pepper are also known. It is used as a powder to sterilize wounds and speed up the healing process.

In diseases of the kidneys and liver, it is also worth leaning on seasoning - it helps to filter harmful substances and removes toxins from the body. But most often ethnoscience uses black pepper for colds. It is mixed with honey and consumed internally. It is an excellent expectorant, diaphoretic and pain reliever.

Black pepper in cosmetology

This seasoning is used not only inside, but also externally. The benefits of black pepper were also appreciated by cosmetology. In case of hair loss, you should mix this spice with salt in equal proportions and dissolve the powder in the juice. onion. This mask must be kept on the head for half an hour, and then washed off. This procedure should be carried out once a week.

Essential oil is used in perfumery, as well as in anti-cellulite massages. Creams with "Piper Nigrum" are produced for problem skin, because the spice has an antimicrobial and wound healing effect. Black pepper extract is also used for rinsing the mouth area. It freshens breath no worse than menthol - due to the destruction of pathogenic bacteria. Also shampoos with black pepper in the composition successfully fight dandruff.

Few lovers of this spice know how black pepper grows. Black pepper is climbing plant from the pepper family. It comes from the southwest of India. The territory from where black pepper came to agriculture was called the Land of Pepper. This plant grows there. natural conditions, clinging to tree trunks with their aerial roots. tree liana pepper climbs along its natural support to a height of up to 15 m.

In India, pepper has been used since ancient times. There is evidence that this spice was known in Ancient Greece and Rome. She was the first spice that became known to the inhabitants of Europe. But at first, this spice was very expensive, so it was available only to the richest members of society. With these fruits, instead of money, they even levied a customs tax.

Pepper firmly entered the European culinary culture along with other oriental spices during the period of discovery of new lands - in the 15th-16th centuries. There is interesting fact about the value and prevalence of pepper in that period.

At the end of the 20th century, near Portsmouth (Great Britain), a British warship sunk at the end of the 16th century was raised from the bottom of the sea. What was the surprise of the researchers when they found on most of the remains of the crew members small bags containing black peas. The find testifies that already at that time the oriental spice was very widespread and quite accessible.

Types of pepper and places of its growth

Today, India continues to be one of the world's largest pepper producers. But it is also grown on an industrial scale in Indonesia, China, Brazil, Malaysia, and Ceylon. But Malabar (Indian) and Sumatran (Indonesian) peppers are most valued for their large amount of aromatic essential oils and pungency (high content of piperine). At the same time, peppercorns from Sumatra are somewhat smaller than those from India.

The "softest" taste of black pepper is grown on the Chinese island of Hainan.

Black pepper is obtained from unripe drupes. To get black peas, only berries that begin to blush are cut off from the brushes. They are doused with hot water to remove the pericarp (shells of peas), and dried until they become almost black or dark brown. In some industries, grains are still dried in the sun, and not in dryers.

Black pepper in the old days was considered high quality if 1000 peas had a weight of 460 g. Such a number of pepper grains were even used as weights.

In general, the density of the spice is measured in g / l. Yes, Malabar pepper. High Quality has a density of 580 g / l.

White pepper is obtained from black. This is the result of processing and drying fully ripe drupes. White pepper is produced mainly in Laos, Cambodia and Thailand. This pepper is more expensive and has a more refined and mild flavor and aroma than black pepper.

How black pepper grows (video)

The use of black pepper

Pepper is the most common and widely used seasoning. In order for it to retain its aroma and pungency longer, it is best to store peas in a closed glass jar, and grind it in a mill before use. You should not buy this seasoning in ground form. After all, during processing, it loses its taste. In addition, dust and other debris are often found in packaging with ground seasoning.

Pepper is added in ground form or in peas to any meat, fish, vegetable dishes. In homemade or industrial preserves, along with cloves and allspice, black peppercorns are always present. It gives the product a pleasant aroma and sharpness. In addition, Malabar pepper is used in the production of boiled and dry-cured sausages, other meat products.

Not a single owner can do without pepper when preparing such a warming drink as mulled wine.

The benefits of pepper human body lies in the fact that he, being a part of various dishes and sauces to them, improves appetite and promotes digestion.

Essential oils, contained in the peas of this spice, help fight helminths (worms).

There are some contraindications to the use of spices. It is categorically not recommended to use it in large quantities for people suffering from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract such as duodenal ulcer, stomach and gastritis. In addition, do not abuse pepper to people with increased arterial pressure. But in small amounts (just for flavor), seasoning will not hurt anyone.

Is it possible to grow spices at home

Connoisseurs tell how to grow pepper at home. They believe that growing black pepper is very easy. To do this, it is advised to simply soak the largest pea in water and stick it in a pot. From it, according to them, shoots will appear in about a month. But how a seed treated with hot water can germinate is quite difficult to imagine. However, what does not happen in life.

Pepper and pepper growers advise keeping the plant on the window on the sunny side, and in summer even take it out into the fresh air.

All these tips are very good, but these experts do not tell how to grow a vine at least 5 m long in the house, and even so that it bears fruit (otherwise, why grow it).

Also, they do not give any information about what kind of soil, what top dressing, what kind of humidity regime the plant needs. But all this should be known and advised by real plant growers.

But if you still want to experiment - go for it. And may good luck accompany you.

How to grow black pepper (video)

Gallery: black pepper (15 photos)

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