Why is black pepper useful and how can this culture be grown at home and in the country?

Pepper - is the fruit of a climbing bush.

Black pepper is sometimes also called the "Malabar berry" because of its natural habitat - the Malabar Islands (in the south of India). In nature, shrubs twine around trees, climbing up. Since the time when pepper has become an agricultural crop, poles have been installed for it on the plantations, as for hops, and this restricts its growth to a height of 4-5 m.The plant is a climbing shrub, reaching a height of 15 m.The leaves are 80 -100 mm. After the end of flowering, round fruits grow, at first they are green, then they turn yellow or red.

Black pepper (Piper nigrum).

The brush is 80-140 mm long and contains 20-30 drupes. To get black pepper, the fruits are harvested unripe - green or slightly yellow. When dried in the sun, they shrink and turn black. Pepper fruits ripen at different times, so the period of its collection is greatly extended.

There are more than one and a half thousand species of plants belonging to the genus of peppers, the pepper family. However, only 5-6 species that grow in South Asia are used as a spice. Real peppers include black pepper, white pepper, cubeb pepper, long pepper, and African pepper.

Description

Botanical description

Perennial plant belonging to the Pepper family... The leaves are simple, 8-10 centimeters long. The fruit reaches 3-5 millimeters in diameter. It bears fruit twice a year for 25-30 years.

What does such a culture look like and what is the color of its ripe fruits?

The black pepper plant looks like a climbing liana, the length of which reaches 15 meters.

Black peppercorns are the dried fruits of a tropical plant. The ripe fruit of black pepper is red in color.

History

Black pepper was originally native to the eastern shores of India.where it was highly valued for its taste. Then he was brought to Indonesia and the countries of Southeast Asia.

In the Middle Ages, pepper was widely used in European cooking. With its help, they imparted a piquant taste to raw food. And only in the 20th century it became known in Africa and America.

Interesting facts about black pepper - in the video:

Taste characteristics

The spice is used both in peas and ground, and has a pungent and pungent taste.

Chemical composition

100 grams contains:

• 250 kcal.
• 10.4 grams of protein.
• 3.3 grams of fat.
• 38.7 grams of carbohydrates.

Black pepper contains a whole host of unique ingredients contributing to the normal functioning of the body:

• Vitamin E.
• Vitamin C.
• Vitamin B2.
• Vitamin B4.
• Vitamin B5.
• Vitamin B6.
• Vitamin B9.
• Vitamin PP.
• Glycosides.
• Starch.
• Essential oils.
• Pyrroline.
• Khavicin.
• Sahara.
• Alkaloids.

Macronutrients:

• Potassium.
• Magnesium.
• Calcium.
• Phosphorus.
• Sodium.

Trace elements:

• Iron.
• Fluorine.
• Selenium.
• Copper.
• Manganese.

These substances improve the condition of the nervous system and strengthen it, help to improve the functioning of the kidneys and liver, improve cognition and strengthen the immune system.

Benefit and harm

Beneficial features:

1. Black pepper contains 3 times more vitamin C than orange.
2. Rich in calcium, iron, phosphorus, carotene and B vitamins.
3. Effectively stimulates digestion.
4. Removes toxins.
5. It is a fat burner.
6. Improves blood circulation.
7. It is used as a tonic, expectorant, carminative and anthelmintic folk remedy.

Harm:

1. Excessive consumption of black pepper irritates the stomach lining.
2. When black pepper enters the nasal mucosa, it becomes irritated.
3. Due to the diuretic effect, the spice should be avoided for people with pyelonephritis and cystitis during an exacerbation.

Characteristics by origin:

1. MALABAR. A large amount of black pepper comes from Kerala, which is located in the southwestern part of India (Malabar coast). Today all Indian peppers are usually called Malabar. Pepper berries are large, with a strong aroma. Its essential oils contain a rich aromatic bouquet. It has a high content of piperine, and this gives it a spice.
2. LAMPONG. Indonesia and mainly the island of Sumatra is another major producer of top quality black pepper. The pepper is grown in Lampong province in the southeastern part of Sumatra and is shipped from the port of Pandang. Lampong pepper is not inferior in quality to Indian. It is just as pungent and aromatic, with a high content of essential oils and piperine. A characteristic difference from the Indian one is that the pepper is smaller in size. Ground Lampong pepper is slightly lighter than Indian pepper.
3. BRAZILIAN. Brazil is a large pepper producer that has recently entered the market. Peppers are grown in the northern state of Pará, along the Amazon River. The plantations were established only in 1930, and a crop sufficient for export trade was obtained only in 1957.Since then, Brazil has been one of the main suppliers of black and white peppers. Brazilian black pepper has a relatively smooth surface and a distinctive appearance. The peel of the pepper is black in color, and the inside of the berry is creamy white.
4. CHINESE. Only recently it began to be exported to the foreign market, although it is grown in China constantly. It is very light in color and soft in taste. It is grown mainly on the island of Hainan, southeast of the mainland.
5. SARAVAK. The former British colony of Sarawak (now part of the Republic of Malaysia) along the northwest coast of Borneo is another global pepper producer. Port of shipment v Kuching. The bulk of the Sarawak pepper goes to Singapore for transhipments and new shipments around the world, especially to the UK, Japan and Germany.
6. CEYLON. Now the country is officially called Sri Lanka, but pepper (like tea) is called Ceylon. It departs from Colombo, the capital and main seaport of the country. This pepper is used mainly for the production of extracts, as it has a high content of pungent essential oils, piperine and capsicin.

OTHER. These are Madagascar, Thailand, Nigeria and Vietnam. Pepper is produced in small quantities. Now Vietnam is strengthening its position, but the quality of the pepper there does not always meet the requirements for a good quality pepper.

Black pepper fruits.

There are two main qualities of pepper - its sharpness (due to piperine) and aroma (depends on the content of essential oils). The best is considered to be the densest and heaviest of the highest quality peppers from the Malabar coast of India. This is Malabar Grade 1 or MG1. Its density is 570-580 grams per liter. This pepper is very economical to use and is recommended for use in the production of cooked sausages.

Popular varieties and varieties

There are several varieties of this type of pepper:

• Black peas used as a seasoning for almost all dishes, even sweet ones.
• White peppercorns less sharp than black. It has a mild taste and specific aroma. It is best to add it to boiled meat and dough dishes, such as dumplings or boiled beef.Considered ideal for white and light sauces due to its color.
• Green pea - the least spicy of all varieties of pepper.
• Red peas is made from ripe red fruits and has a sweetish taste.
• Cubeba has a spicy hot and cooling taste. It is used for rice, seafood, fish, vegetables and legumes. This pepper is 4 times more acute than black peas.
• Allspice much larger than black pepper. It not only adds aroma to dishes, but also changes the taste.

Growing in natural habitat

When grown on plantations devoid of trees, special supports are installed for pepper vines with a height of no more than five meters to facilitate harvesting. There are such plantations 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 pungent taste, and essential oils, thanks to which the pepper has a specific aroma, is found in the fruits of Indian (Malabar district) and Indonesian (Sumatra island) peppers.

Video - Black pepper production

How to grow?

In the open field

In the climatic conditions of Russia, growing pepper in the open field will not work, since it will not survive the winter.

Only in warm southern regions with a subtropical climate can you try to cultivate it using heated greenhouses.

Purchase the necessary equipment - a landing cone.

Soil preparation:

1. Soil preparation takes place in the fall.
2. The ground must be protected from the wind, but receive sufficient sunlight.
3. Peppers can be planted only 3 years after cleaning the soil from their predecessors - nightshade crops.
4. The soil should be fertile and able to retain moisture.
5. Manure, wood ash or humus are applied as fertilizer.

Preparation of planting material for growing:

1. Purchase quality seeds.
2. Soak them at + 50 ° C for a day. Change the water regularly.

Read more about how to prepare seeds and when to plant peppers for seedlings here.

Landing scheme and technology:

1. Planting in hot weather is done in the afternoon.
2. In cloudy weather, you can plant peppers in the morning.
3. Prepared holes are watered abundantly with water.
4. Remove the seedlings from the pots and place them upright in the holes.
5. The interval between the holes should be 2 meters in order to establish a support for the pepper vine.

Planting care:

• The optimum growing temperature ranges from +20 to +25 ° C.
• If the temperature is below + 13 ° C, then cover the peppers with foil.
• It is better to water with water that has settled.
• Before flowering, you need to water once a week, and in the heat - 2 times.
• During flowering and fruiting, you need to water it 2-3 times a week.
• As soon as the first two leaves appear on the seedlings, you can start feeding with ammonium nitrate, potassium fertilizer or superphosphate.
• Burlap tents are installed to protect from the cold.
• To prevent pests from spoiling the crop, you need to monitor the temperature and humidity.

Harvesting and storage:

• In the second or third year, unripe red fruits are harvested and dried.
• The pepper is stored in a dry place in a glass container with a sealed lid.

We talked more about the features of growing pepper in a separate article.

At home

To grow a plant at home, you need to purchase pepper and inventory in the store:

• Black peppercorns in bags.
• Heavy leafy and turfy soil, sand and humus.
• Plant pot or cardboard cup.
• Thermometer.

Soil preparation - you can use a ready-made mixture for sowing peppers. Add washed sand after sifting, if desired.

Preparation of planting material:

1. After purchasing the black peppercorns, you need to select and plant the largest of them in a pot.
2. Before planting, they need to be soaked in water for a day.

Landing scheme and technology:

1. Peppers need to be planted in early summer.
2. The room temperature should be + 25-30 ° C.
3. The pepper pots are filled with freshly prepared and disinfected substrate.
4. Then the soil is watered and leveled.
5. The pots are covered with glass or covered with transparent plastic wrap.
6. Seeds need to be provided with suitable conditions - temperature at the level of 27-30 ºС, bright but diffused light, bottom heating.
7. As soon as the second leaf appears, fertilizer must be applied. It is best to use bird droppings.
8. After fertilization, the peppers are transplanted into a larger, more spacious pot.
9. A support for the vine is stuck into the ground.

Planting care:

1. Frequent and abundant watering. Do not overdry the earthen coma in the pot, but do not overdo it. In hot weather, peppers are watered every day or every other day. In other cases, watering every 2-3 days will be enough. Half an hour after watering, excess water is drained from the pan.
2. In hot weather, spraying from a finely dispersed spray gun is carried out 2-3 times a day.
3. The pepper is fed every 12-15 days with a solution of complex mineral fertilizer prepared according to the instructions.
4. Keep the pepper pot away from running batteries in winter.
5. In cloudy weather, the pot should be on the windowsill, and in sunny weather, take it outside.
6. Peppers are transplanted every two years.

To get a good harvest of pepper, you need to correctly approach the choice of seeds and know the rules for growing the variety. Read our materials about such varieties of vegetables as: Lesya, California Miracle, Ram's Horn, Atlant, Aristotle F1, Star of the East, Orange, Habanero, Bogatyr.

Care errors

Under uncomfortable conditions of detention, non-compliance with the temperature, light conditions, the plant begins to signal its problems. It is important to notice these signals in time and take adequate measures to correct the situation.

Table: reaction of black pepper to care errors

Note! The appearance of white convex dots on the back of the leaves of peppercorns is just a cultural feature, that is, it is completely normal and should not cause you concern.

Harvesting and storage

The collected peppers are stored in a dry place in a glass container with a sealed lid... Remember that after the expiration date, the peas lose their flavor and useful properties.

If the pepper is stored improperly, a fungus can start in it.

This plant is easy to grow in your home for use in cooking and as a medicine. Subject to a comfortable or close microclimate and proper care, black pepper will delight you with a bountiful harvest twice a year for many years.

Reproduction of pepper

Having grown at least one pepper, then it can be propagated by cuttings. Each stalk should have two buds. The substrate is prepared from one part of sand and two parts of leafy soil. Cuttings stuck in the ground are covered with jars or cut plastic bottles. The rooting process takes three weeks, after which the plants are planted in flowerpots. Easier to propagate by layering. It is enough to pin the recumbent shoots to the ground, and after a while they will take root.If the bush has grown enough, you can divide it when transplanting.

The liana obtained by the vegetative method blooms after six months, and after 8 months it gives seeds. The peas are picked as soon as they start to turn red, during the drying process they turn black. Up to three kilos of harvest can be harvested from one bush over seven years old.

Interesting fact: 1000 properly dried peas weigh exactly 460 g.

From one bush

Peas of different colors are included in the mixture of peppers. Black, red, white, green - they are all collected from the same bush, just plucked at different times and processed in different ways.

Peas are obtained from not quite ripe fruits. They are doused with hot water, which promotes the work of enzymes. Then they are sent to a sunny place, where they dry until the shell darkens.

As for green peppers, so that the peas do not change color, they are treated with sulfur dioxide or a dry drying method is applied. Pink pepper is obtained in a similar way.

White pepper is a mature seed devoid of a pericarp. To soften the shell, the peas are soaked in water for a week. After that, the seeds are freed from the shell and dried. Of course, there are alternative cleaning methods, including mechanical and chemical ones. White pepper has a strong aroma but a subtler taste. Fresh peas are used in Thai cuisine. Their aroma is described as spicy and fresh.