Black pepper is the king of spices with centuries of history. Black pepper at home

Allspice black pepper treats a sore throat cough with sputum bronchitis delay or absence of menstruation increases body tone improves male potency treats hair loss is used in the removal of stones from the kidneys treatment of sciatica female infertility osteochondrosis with joint pain aches neuritis of the facial nerve toothache paralysis of epilepsy malaria dissolves cleanses the body hot dissolves lymph has antidote properties strengthens nerves memory is useful in nervous diseases helps in the treatment of tumors improves brain function is an antidote helps with all animal bites

Allspice black pepper treats a sore throat cough with sputum bronchitis delay or absence of menstruation increases body tone improves male potency treats sinusitis hair loss is used to remove stones from the kidneys treatment of sciatica female infertility osteochondrosis with joint pain aches neuritis of the facial nerve toothache paralysis epilepsy malaria resolves cleanses the body dissolves lymph has antidote properties strengthens nerves memory is useful in nervous diseases helps in the treatment of tumors improves brain function is an antidote helps with all animal bites

This spice is widely used not only in the field of cooking, but also in folk medicine as a means to increase appetite, improve digestion (increases the secretion of hydrochloric acid), and also eliminate the low acidity of gastric juice. The benefits of black peppercorns are also very important for the treatment of joint diseases (as a tincture).

Unlike ground black pepper, peas have a slightly different purpose in cooking - this seasoning is mainly used in the preparation of various marinades. Black pepper is also added when canning vegetables, meat and fish, as well as in the process of preparing broths.

Black pepper is categorically contraindicated in acute inflammation of the kidneys and Bladder. It's a pity that black pea pepper can manifest itself with anemia, peptic ulcers and allergic diseases, be vigilant when adding this spice to food.

Basically, it is laid in any dish long before the end of cooking, as it does not have both burning and irritating properties, as in ground pepper. The main property of black peppercorns is a special note and aroma, which it provides meat dishes, broths and marinades.

Traditional medicine recipes are rooted in the wisdom of ancient healers, who have many black peppercorns in their composition. This is what proves great benefit, which can bring into our body is useful plant restoring health and strengthening all vital processes.

Hello dear readers. Modern man is trying to make the most of all kinds of Natural resources for your own comfort. animal representatives and flora are essential components of many "drugs" that can eliminate the causes and symptoms of various diseases. And also improve immunity and prevent the occurrence of diseases. In this article we will talk about such a popular product as red hot peppers. This half-shrub fruit is now widely used in medicine, cooking and even cosmetology.

If you can’t imagine a single dish without this wonderful seasoning, then you can completely get it yourself at home. And in this case, you will be sure of the quality of the used product. Knowing how black peppercorns grow in nature, you can easily get a high quality crop in your area and even on your windowsill.

Unripe, shriveled and dried fruits look like small black peas, which is why he got the name "black peppercorns". First, this type of spice began its journey from the east coast of India, then penetrated into other Asian countries. He conquered Europe in the days of ancient Greece and ancient rome. Since then, it has been the subject of a brisk trade between countries. This type of seasoning was highly valued, and could even be used as a bargaining chip when making various trade agreements. Huge caravans and sea ships delivered black pepper to European countries and at different periods, one after one, established their advantage on the sea route from Europe to Asia, and established a monopoly on the delivery and sale of spicy black pepper. And only in the middle of the nineteenth - the beginning of the twentieth century, he gets to America and Africa. Interestingly, it is black pepper that underlies the wealth of America's first millionaires.

Useful properties of black peppercorns are extremely high. So, scientists note, it is one of the most powerful and stimulating digestive processes of plants. It perfectly cleanses the entire digestive tract of toxins, removing them from the body. Due to the fact that it is an excellent means of combating indigestion, metabolic disorders, obesity, black peppercorns for weight loss will become your faithful companion. After all, this additive to your usual dishes activates the consumption and burning of calories.

Black pepper is used as a bactericidal, expectorant and analgesic. The plant renders medicinal property in the treatment of cough, diseases respiratory tract. In folk medicine, black pepper is often used to treat hemorrhoids, stomach diseases, and fever. A decoction of black pepper is used for snake or scorpion bites. Black pepper can get rid of chest pain.

Black peppercorns can be stored for quite a long time (several years) if they remain black or dark brown in color. A gray coating indicates the expiration date. Pepper hammers are better just before use - serving dishes on the table. Ground pepper does not like long heat treatment, unlike peas.

Black pepper is one of the most effective digestive stimulants. It burns Amu and cleanses the evacuation organs (freeing them of toxins). It pairs well with and warms up cold foods such as cucumbers and is very useful in raw vegetable salads. When applied externally, it helps in the treatment of festering abscesses. Combined with honey, black pepper is an excellent cleanser. respiratory organs, removes mucus from them, reduces its formation. AT in large numbers, however, its use is not recommended, as it has the nature of rajas and can cause overexcitation and irritation.

Pe? Retz black (lat. Piper nigrum) - perennial climbing plant, a species of the genus Pepper (Piper) of the Pepper family (Piperaceae). The plant is cultivated for its fruit, from which spices such as black pepper, white pepper, green pepper and pink pepper are obtained through various processing (the fruits of other plants that are not related to black pepper are also known under the names green pepper and pink pepper). These spices are used both in ground form and peas.

Other properties of this food product have long provided him with the glory of a medicinal product. When taken orally, black pepper opens phlegm (which many sufferers of chronic bronchitis try in vain to achieve), warms the digestive organs, improves appetite, treats sour belching, thins thick blood in melancholic and phlegmatic people, drives wind out of the intestines.

To improve body tone and improve male potency black pepper is mixed with sugar in equal proportions, half a teaspoon of the mixture is dissolved in a glass of milk and drunk. According to the testimony of the ancients, in love affairs, the help of this potion affects the first time. A weekly course of admission should significantly stimulate the body.

With all the above types of internal use of black pepper, contraindications should be taken into account, which it is for acute inflammation of the bladder and kidneys. You can not use pepper for anemia, allergic diseases, peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum.

Changing the diet does not prevent relapses and avoid the recurrence of stones. When switching from one diet to another, for example, urates are formed instead of phosphates, or vice versa.

Spicy and fragrant black peppercorns can be found in every kitchen. Everyone knows what it looks like - black round peas, no more than 0.5 cm in diameter. This excellent seasoning for any first and second courses, canned food, meat and fish delicacies. But few people know where black pepper grows and how to grow it at home.

This spice, which came to India, many seasoning lovers have learned to grow on their windowsills and in the beds of summer cottages.

Peppercorns in vivo

This spice grows in almost all regions of the equatorial and subequatorial strip. Its homeland is the Malabar Islands, which the locals used to even call the "Land of Pepper" in translation from the Indian language. The plant itself looks like a liana, in the wild winds around trees or shrubs and can reach a length of 15-17 meters.

For growing spices in industrial scale on plantations, special pegs and long sticks are installed, around which vines curl. The leaves of the black pepper plant have elongated shape, rounded at the base and pointed at the end. During the flowering period, the buds of the plant grow in bunches of several pieces on long brushes of 12–15 centimeters. The growing and harvesting period is quite long, because the brushes do not ripen at the same time, but gradually on the entire vine. From one branch (one bud) 25-35 peas are collected.

Garden according to the Mitlider method: features and benefits

By the way, not only black peas can be collected from such vines. Known to all white, red and green pepper - it's just allspice, collected in different time and in varying degrees of maturity. And black pepper acquires its color only after prolonged drying in the open air or ovens.

growing at home

It will not be possible to plant a plantation of peppercorns everywhere due to the unsuitable climate in a number of regions. But there are several ways to grow spices at home:

• from seeds;
• cuttings;
• layering.

The last two methods are more suitable for experienced gardeners, but the fastest and easiest way is to grow a spice from seeds. For growing black pepper at home, seeds are suitable directly from a pack bought in a store. One sachet is enough to get a good result. But it is black peas that are suitable for planting, other species simply will not germinate.

Choosing a place is worth considering that the bush will need a lot of light, so if you decide to grow pepper at home, you need to put a container with it on a windowsill or balcony.

From the package, you need to select the heaviest seeds and fill them with warm water for a day before planting. After that, they can be sown in soil that is half leaves, sand and turf in equal parts. It is better to plant spices in late spring, and keep the plant at an average temperature of 24–29 degrees above zero.

Rational arrangement of beds in a greenhouse 3x6

In the first year, the plant gives an active growth of the vine, and in the second year it already brings the first crop. The length of the creeper on the windowsill can reach one and a half to two meters, so you need to prepare for this and constantly tie up the plant.

To propagate black peppercorns from cuttings, you need:

• Choose vines with two buds and cut them off;
• Put the cuttings in a dark warm place;
• After 2-3 weeks, when they take root, they can be planted in pots with prepared and fertilized soil.

And the third way to grow spices is layering. You can propagate pepper by layering right during transplantation. It is best to spend it in the spring. After transplanting the bush, the long branch bends down and is fixed horizontally at the surface of the earth. At the bend at proper watering and feeding young roots grow. When they grow enough and get stronger, the bushes can be divided and seated in different pots.

Features of care

After the appearance of the first sprouts, the pepper is transplanted into a larger container than was used during planting. When transplanting, chicken manure is added to the soil as a fertilizer. The room in which the spice grows should be bright, but at the same time it is necessary to protect the pot from direct exposure to the sun, otherwise the pepper may simply dry out. The plant loves moisture very much, so it should be sprayed from a spray bottle at least once a day. You can also put a pan of water under the pot and add it there as it is absorbed.

Black pepper are the dried fruits of the climbing perennial shrub. This shrub reaches a length of up to fifteen meters, its vines entwine all the other trees, more strengthened in the soil (see photo). As they ripen, round yellow and red fruits appear. They are further dried in the open sun, crushed and get the most common spice, which is used in almost every corner of the globe. This plant is also called the "Malabar berry", thanks to the name of the Malabar Islands, which are the place of natural growth of this plant.

Unripe, shriveled and dried fruits look like small black peas, which is why he got the name "black peppercorns". Initially, this type of spice began its journey from the east coast of India, then it penetrated the rest of Asian countries. He conquered Europe back in the days of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. Since then, it has been the subject of a brisk trade between various countries. This type of seasoning was highly valued, and could even be used as a bargaining chip when making various trade agreements. Huge caravans and sea ships delivered black pepper to European countries and at different periods, one after another, countries that established their superiority on the sea route from Europe to Asia established a monopoly on the delivery and sale of spicy black pepper. And only in the middle of the nineteenth - early twentieth century, he gets to America and Africa. Interestingly, it is black pepper that underlies the wealth of America's first millionaires.

Beneficial features

The beneficial properties of black peppercorns are extremely extensive. So, scientists note, it is one of the most powerful and stimulating digestive processes of plants. It perfectly cleanses the entire digestive tract of toxins, removing them from the body. Due to the fact that it is a wonderful remedy for indigestion, metabolic disorders, obesity, black peppercorns for weight loss will become your faithful companion. After all, this additive to your usual dishes activates the consumption and burning of calories.

At the same time, the constant presence in the human diet, this seasoning reduces the likelihood of developing disorders of cardio-vascular system, improves blood circulation and prevents thrombosis.

An interesting fact is that this seasoning contains three to four times more ascorbic acid than the most famous citrus fruit, the orange. In addition, the fruits of this plant are rich in iron, carotene, calcium and B vitamins, vitamin E. It contains pyroline, sugar, chavicin, various enzymes, gums, healthy starches and essential oils. Due to the presence of the latter, it is believed that it is peas that have the richest useful properties than its ground form. After all essential oils when milled, they volatilize very quickly. Therefore, most researchers recommend purchasing black pepper in the form of peas, and grinding it before use to obtain maximum benefit from this condiment.

Use in cooking

The use of black peppercorns in cooking is common in cuisines around the world. This versatile seasoning is used in almost every section of the kitchen art, for all kinds of dishes.

So, for example, first courses, a variety of soups, borscht and broths will become much richer, more aromatic and tastier if, at the beginning of cooking, a few whole peas of black pepper are thrown into the water.

Any kind of salad can be considered best friends of this seasoning, only there it is used in ground form. Various main courses: fried, boiled, baked almost always contain this ingredient in the recipe. It is impossible to imagine the production of sausages, sausages and other meat delicacies without black pepper.

When preparing a marinade, canning and salting various foods, the use of this seasoning has two goals:

• Improvement palatability prepared products.
• Increase the shelf life of blanks.

There are even dessert recipes in which the participation of this flavor is considered mandatory. For example, classic recipes making Russian gingerbread, Baltic cookies necessarily contain it in their composition. In addition, drinks containing a spicy component are popular: tea, coffee, cocktails.

This seasoning can be stored in your kitchen for quite a long time in the form of peas in a hermetically sealed container. And for grinding, use a mortar or culinary grinder. Then the aroma and taste of this product will be as rich as possible in your culinary masterpieces.

If you can’t imagine a single dish without this wonderful seasoning, then you can completely get it yourself at home. And in this case, you will be confident in the quality of the product used. Knowing how black peppercorns grow in nature, you can easily get the highest quality crop in your area and even on your windowsill.

And it’s not even necessary to buy seeds in a professional flower shop. After all, when harvesting, black pepper is not subjected to any other processing other than drying, which means that you can use exactly those peas that you buy in a store or supermarket.

Soak the peas for a day in water, and then you can plant the resulting seeds already in a container with soil to obtain seedlings. It is best to start growing this plant in early summer. After all, the required temperature is 25-30 degrees Celsius.

The resulting seedlings should be moved to a permanent place of "life". Remember to feed your pet periodically. In no case do not forget about watering, which must be done with water at room temperature. This plant loves open, lighted areas. But you shouldn't expose it directly to Sun rays, because in this case there is a high probability of a burn.

Black pepper is perennial. At proper care it can reach a height of two meters and even higher. Therefore, be sure to provide this vine-like shrub with the necessary supports. In the second year of life, it will already be possible to harvest. Only green unripe fruits should be collected, which must also be dried under the hot open rays of the sun to a black color and wrinkled peel.

Black pepper benefits and treatment

The benefits of black peppercorns have been known since ancient times. So in ancient india physicians used it as an anti-inflammatory and body-cleansing medicine.

And modern researchers have found that:

• Piperine, which is contained in large quantities in spices, significantly increases the body's ability to obtain useful substances, minerals and vitamins from food. It contributes to a more active production of such necessary "hormones of happiness" serotonin and endorphin.
• External use of tincture of seasoning helps to cope with many skin diseases, including vitiligo.

In addition to the above, black peppercorns are effective as a remedy for:

There are a great many recipes of traditional medicine, rooted in the wisdom of ancient healers, which have black peppercorns in their composition. This is what proves the great benefits that this useful plant can bring to our body, restoring health and strengthening all vital processes.

The harm of black peppercorns and contraindications

There are certain diseases in which you should limit the use of this product, and even completely exclude it from your diet:

• Allergy to the product.
• Anemia.
• Ulcer of the stomach and duodenum.
• Acute inflammatory processes of the stomach, bladder and kidneys.

And remember that, like any product, black pepper can not only benefit, but if used and used unreasonably, cause some discomfort and even harm human health. Therefore, you should not thoughtlessly use this spice, even if you have iron health.

Europe got acquainted with Indian spice in the 4th century. BC e. during aggressive campaigns Alexander the Great. Pepper or as it was also called "Malabar berry" quickly won adherents and became a necessary component of many dishes European cuisine. Spice in those days was worth its weight in gold and often served as a cash equivalent. She paid for goods, bribed officials, gave dowry and paid tribute.

The cost of this spice, which, according to the ancients, possessed many healing properties, was so high that it was often bought by one pea. Today it has become much more democratic in price, but has not lost its popularity, firmly holding the title of "King of Spice".

Botanical reference

The spice we know as black pepper is drupe fruit of the perennial climbing vine Píper nígrum (family Piperaceae), specially processed. The plant is a typical representative of tropical flora and, in addition to India, is common in Brazil, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, the islands of Java and Madagascar.

How and where does black pepper grow?

Wild vines of the genus Piper (Pepper) are found mainly in forests, where they have the opportunity to lean aerial roots on trees and stretch upwards, reaching 15 meters in length. The plant forms cobs with numerous berries, which are green in color when unripe, and turn red when ripe.


Currently, pepper vines are actively cultivated. In subtropical conditions, they bear fruit 2 times a year and, with proper care, are able to "live" up to 30 years. On plantations, they are grown using a trellis method, not allowing plants to exceed a length of 4–5 m, which significantly increases yield.

The average length of cobs is 8-14 cm, the number of berries in each ranges from 20 to 30.

Pepper varieties

1. The black is just one of the ways in which the fruit of the Píper nígrum vine is processed. Drupes that have not reached full ripeness are blanched and the protective layer is removed. upper layer to speed up the browning process. Further, the berries are dried naturally or in special apparatus. After a few days, their shell shrinks and becomes black. It is in this form that the spice enters our table.
2. Green also obtained from unripe berries. However, drying is carried out in a cold way (sublimation method), when the product is first subjected to shock freezing and then dehydrated in a vacuum space. At the same time, the original color of the drupes is preserved, they acquire a delicate, piquant taste. This seasoning is pickled, and in Thai cuisine it is used fresh.
3. Pink It is produced similarly to green, only from fully ripened berries. Attention: In stores, you can often find another spice with the same name. These are pink peppers from the fruits of Chinus softus or Chinus pistachio, which grow in Peru and Brazil, respectively. South American spice large quantities can negatively affect the body, so it is not used separately, but in multicomponent mixtures.
4. White- These are ripe fruits without a shell. There are several ways to clean the drupes, among which the most common is soaking for a week in a solution of salt or lime, after which the top layer is easily removed. It remains only to dry the peas, and they are ready to eat.

White pepper, like black pepper, is used in marinades or to enhance the taste of dishes, but it is not as spicy, although it is more aromatic.

What is useful and who can harm

The oldest oriental spice makes our food not only tastier, but also much healthier. Black pepper contains almost all vitamins and microelements, as well as healing essential oils.

But the "Malabar berry" is especially valued because of the unique alkaloid - piperine, it is he who gives the spice its characteristic sharpness. The substance has a beneficial effect on metabolic processes, stimulating the production of enzymes necessary for proper digestion of food and accelerating the removal of decay products from the body.

In addition, piperine is involved in the formation of endorphins and serotonin, so it can be safely called a natural antidepressant. It is not surprising that black pepper is advised to be consumed in the autumn-winter period as a protection against seasonal breakdown.

Beneficial features

When used in moderation, the "king of spices" contributes to:

• strengthening immunity
• reduction of pain syndromes in sprains and muscle injuries
• elimination of edema
• improve blood circulation, reduce the risk of blood clots
• relief of headaches, including those with chronic migraines
• oral cavity health
• skin rejuvenation, treatment of dermatitis and vitiligo
• increased appetite, increased intestinal motility.

Official medicine confirms antiseptic and antibacterial properties.

In Ayurvedic practices, it is used to treat colds, dry coughs, respiratory problems and diarrhea.

Peppercorns, stewed in a water bath with olive oil, is considered effective tool from gout and sciatica.

Nutritionists advise including spice in the menu for those who are struggling with being overweight. In cosmetology, there are many products for the care of problem skin based on black pepper extract.

And finally, the "Malabar berry" is a recognized aphrodisiac, able not only to maintain the fire of desire, but also to help with a decrease in potency.

Both in cooking and medicinal purposes it is better to use black peppercorns, rather than ready-made powder. If necessary, the spice is ground on its own, immediately before use.

Contraindications

Like other hot spices, black pepper should be used with caution in chronic inflammation of the kidneys and bladder, pancreas, or gastrointestinal tract. If the diseases of these organs are acute, the spice should be completely excluded from your diet.

Pepper is contraindicated for anemia, peptic ulcer and during the recovery period after operations on the gastrointestinal tract.

Excessive passion for seasoning can cause irritation of the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract and stomach. In addition, women who pepper their dishes too much sometimes suffer from reproductive dysfunction.

Some people have an individual intolerance to hot spices. To determine which spice causes a negative reaction of the body, appropriate tests will help. Allergy to black pepper has symptoms that are indistinguishable from ordinary food. The mucous membrane of the larynx and the area around the eyes swell, cough and runny nose begin, a rash appears, itching and redness of certain areas of the skin are noted.

AT severe cases pressure rises, dizziness and vomiting may occur, shock and loss of consciousness are not excluded. The described conditions are extremely rare, but people with a general tendency to allergies need to be careful.

Application in cooking

It is difficult to find a first or second course without black pepper. That's why he is the "king of spices" to own the entire culinary world.

In the form of whole peas, the spice is used:

• when cooking broths
• for marinades
• in combination with other spices when baking fish or meat
• for the preparation of fragrant vinegars or sauces that require long aging (for example, Worcestershire)
• in home preservation and pickles

The range of application of ground pepper is much wider: from second courses, soups and salads to some desserts and drinks.


They are seasoned:

• minced meat and vegetables
• sausages and smoked meats
• breading
• savory toppings, casseroles and omelettes
• most instant savory sauces

The popular spice is also loved by confectioners. It is flavored with berry and fruit desserts, ice cream, chocolates, muffins and gingerbread.

In the winter cold, tea or coffee with black pepper will help to warm up. The spice is included alcoholic cocktails and drinks, among which the most famous are Bloody Mary, punch, grog, mulled wine. The presence of "Malabar berry" not only improves the taste of the product, but also relieves hangover.

Since the spice speeds up metabolism, dishes with its "participation" will not harm our figure. Most recipes use ground black pepper, the calorie content of which is only 251 kcal per 100 g (for reference: one teaspoon contains 5 g of this seasoning).

1. You need to store the spice in a dark, dry place, hermetically sealed.
2. Purchased ground pepper after opening the package is recommended to be used within 3-4 months, otherwise it will gradually begin to lose its properties.
3. Whole peas are put in dishes at the beginning of cooking, chopped - at the very end, otherwise bitterness will be felt.
4. Grinding peppers by hand is not necessarily a special grinder for spices or coffee. If such tools are not at hand, an ordinary rolling pin or a mortar and pestle will do.

In order for the ground spice to reveal the aroma most clearly, I recommend that you always buy only peppercorns and grind it just before use.

Quality standards

How to determine how good the black pepper we purchase is?

1. If the peas have a light gray (gray) hue, the spice has lost its beneficial properties and aroma, it is more correct to refuse it.
2. Whole grains should sink in water. This testifies to their density and high weight - such is the highest quality.
3. According to GOST, ground black pepper has a dark gray color and a uniform powdery consistency. The fresh spice has a strong, spicy smell and a pungent taste. A weak aroma indicates prolonged or improper storage.
4. In peppercorns, you should pay attention to the grain size: according to the standard, it is approximately the same and ranges from 3 to 5 mm.

Another important indicator: the weight of 1000 high quality dried berries is exactly 460 g. This figure is so accurate and unchanged that in the Middle Ages, black peppercorns were used in pharmacies instead of calibration weights.

How to grow your own

Planting material is easy to purchase at the nearest supermarket. It is enough to buy a bag of peppercorns and select the largest, heaviest and densest specimens. Next, we adhere to the following algorithm:

We leave the grains for a day in hot water(approximately 60ºС). The fluid must be changed periodically so that it does not cool down.

We plant the swollen seeds in the prepared soil mix to a depth of no more than two pea sizes.

We will need:

• 4 pieces of leaf ground
• 3 - turf
• 2 - humus
• 1 - sand.

Pour water over and put in a warm, bright place, best of all on a windowsill or balcony.

Since Píper nígrum is a thermophilic plant, it is necessary that the air temperature in the room reaches 20 - 25ºС. It is undesirable to prepare seedlings in the winter, because even with good heating we are unlikely to be able to constantly maintain the desired microclimate.

Sprouts should appear in 3-4 weeks.

Once the plants have produced at least 2 true leaves, they can be dived. There are two options: either containers for growing at home, or open ground if it happens at the beginning of summer and the weather is hot. It is better to fertilize during this period with settled bird droppings.

Attention!

With the onset of autumn, if the pepper grows on the street, it must be brought indoors for the winter. Even at 10ºС, the heat-loving Píper nígrum can die, is it necessary to talk about the first frosts, which also occur at the end of September?

Features of growing black pepper at home

The bush should be planted in a spacious plastic tub and ensure sufficient watering, good lighting(without direct sunlight), as well as timely top dressing.

With a lack of nutrients, the plant is unlikely to give a bountiful harvest, and it may become seriously ill. For fertilizer, both natural top dressings (manure, droppings) and chemicals, for example, nitroammophosku.

It should be remembered that:

1. In winter, pepper "rests" and does not need abundant watering. Optimum temperature air during this period is 18ºС, it is undesirable to go beyond these limits.
2. If the plant is near heating appliances, it should be sprayed twice a day with water at room temperature.
3. Fertilizers are applied only in spring and summer, during the growing season, then watering is increased, making sure that the topsoil does not dry out. You can additionally fill the pallet with wet peat or expanded clay.
4. A year later, throughout life, the pepper is transplanted. Every time you need to take care of good drainage.

Subject to all these rules, the plant will regularly produce crops, starting from the second year of life. Usually at home, pepper reaches 12 years of age.

The condition of the plant can be tracked by the leaves. If they turn yellow, it is necessary to reduce watering and take care of top dressing. Faded and dry leaves are the result of prolonged exposure to bright sun. With a lack of light, the plant has too elongated, pale branches, blooms weakly, droops. Brown rims along the edges of the leaves may be due to insufficient air humidity.

Isn't it surprising that a spice so familiar to us, which, along with salt, is present on every table, has a thousand-year history and unique beneficial properties? Probably, now, housewives will appreciate their favorite seasoning in a new way.

Useful video

An excerpt from a popular TV show discussing our hot spice:

Try to eat right and be healthy!

Noiseless wars - trade and quite real, bloody. All the greatest are done geographical discoveries. Humanity has entered the age of globalization and erased the boundaries between countries and continents. Humanity has calmed down and no longer fights for the right to own caravan and sea routes for delivering the greatest value - black peppercorns.

If humanity knew that at the beginning of the 21st century, the question would become relevant: not where and for how much to buy precious black peas, but how, out of purely sporting interest, to grow peppercorns on a windowsill or balcony.

History of the Spice King

Black pepper was, and still is, the most sought-after and most popular spice in the world. As early as five thousand years BC, there was a brisk trade in black pepper. Some pundits believe that the introduction of salt as a spice and black pepper as a spice into the culinary revolution occurred at about the same time.

When the use of black pepper originates in its homeland - in India, it is not known for certain, but the fact of the use of black pepper by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans is well known.

The Sanskrit name "pippali" goes back to the words that name pepper in Latin, English, Russian and many other languages.

Black pepper began its victorious march around the world from the coast of southwestern India - the Malabar Peninsula, where it grew wild. His path ran to the West through the Arabian Peninsula, the Red Sea to Egypt, and from there to the countries of Europe.

AT Ancient Russia black pepper penetrated quite early, it is not known for certain whether it was present on the tables of the Slavic princes who raided Byzantium, but the first Russian Rurik princes were already familiar with this spice through trade with Byzantium.

Biology of the precious vine

Píper nígrum (lat.) - black pepper - a perennial vine of the Pepper genus, Pepper family, a native of the southwestern coast of India, the Malabar Coast Peninsula, for many centuries was called the "Malabar berry".

This is a typical tropical liana that grows naturally in a humid, hot climate in the lower tier of the rainforest, using tree trunks as a support plant. In the wild reaches a length of 15 meters.

Cultivated and domesticated black pepper grows exclusively in countries with a hot humid tropical climate (Java, Sumatra, Brazil), which are the main exporters of this spice to world markets.

For cultivation as cultivated plant on plantations, poles of 4-6 meters are used, around which the plant is wrapped, which makes harvesting berries more convenient.

All varieties of trade names of peppercorns - red, pink, white, green - are products obtained from the same plant. The difference is only in the technology of processing fruits and the degree of their maturity during harvesting.

potted variant

Growing black pepper at home is a relatively new hobby. They are dealt with exclusively by amateur enthusiasts who have dedicated free time gardening and floriculture. practical value growing an exotic plant on a windowsill or balcony does not bear, since high-quality black pepper, both in peas and in powder, is available to everyone today, and its prices are not high.

Since growing an exotic plant at home is the choice of a very limited number of amateur gardeners, there is no seed or varietal abundance in specialized stores selling seeds. To grow pepper on the balcony at home, lovers use ordinary purchased peppercorns, which are sold in stores as a spice.

It all depends on the drying conditions and the conscientiousness of the spice manufacturer. If the technology was not violated during the production (drying) of berries, ripe berries were used to prepare the spice and no chemical preservatives were used to protect the product from spoilage during storage, then the probability of seed germination is quite high.

Difficulties of growing at home

Unlike tropical and subtropical fruits and vegetables, which have long been cultivated in temperate countries, no serious attempts have been made to acclimatize black pepper. An enthusiast who undertakes to grow pepper on a windowsill or balcony is in for a lot of surprises. Each of them is a pioneer. The experience shared on the Internet by those who have already tried to grow black pepper at home is purely empirical in nature and depends more on luck or coincidence than on the developed and established practice of cultivating this crop.

The main difficulty lies in the lack of sunny days in the middle latitudes, low summer temperatures and dry climate.

Create ideal conditions for the growth of black pepper at home is a task that only a very enthusiastic and purposeful person can do. It requires quite significant material costs for the equipment of an isolated greenhouse, in which a certain illumination, temperature, humidity and chemical composition of the soil must be maintained for a long time. Existing grow boxes are usually small as black pepper grows to two meters or more.

There is only one way out - their own production. And this requires certain skills, free space in the apartment or on the balcony, special equipment and large expenditures of electricity.

If this does not stop the enthusiast - then go ahead! For business.

Traditionally, we will consider two ways of growing black pepper with peas in an apartment - “folk”, completely free from any technical problems, and relying only on the advice of Marya Ivanovna, and scientific and technological - which creates an optimal environment for the plant. The mechanisms for maintaining this environment are activated, and modern progressive methods of agriculture are used.

Let's start Cum Ova

Cum ova (lat.) - with eggs, this is how dinner began with the Roman patricians. And in Russian - from the very beginning.

Since seeds cannot be found in specialized stores during the day with fire, we will use the Internet advice and stock up on a bag of black peppercorns after looking at the packing date. It is desirable that at least the year of production coincides with the year in which the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bgrowing pepper at home dawned on you. From the bag, select the largest and darkest seeds. It is more likely that these were ripe berries. Having selected, soak them in warm (22-25 ° C) water for a day. They should swell and sink. Peas floating on the surface will not germinate. After that, we process growth stimulants ("Epin-Extra", "Bud", "Ovary", "Pollen" in strict accordance with the instructions and after processing we place the seeds on filter paper or in a damp gauze napkin in a bowl with wet, clean, calcined river sand and cover plastic wrap. We place the vessel near the radiator or in another warm place so that the temperature of the sand is constantly maintained in the range of + 25-30 ° C. Until the sprouts hatch, we monitor the humidity of the sand, periodically remove the film - for ventilation and spraying with water.

After the appearance of sprouts, we plant the seeds in pots. Advice to sow in one ditch or box, and then dive and plant in pots is a waste of time. Plants will grow in a pot anyway and there is no need for them once again injure transplants. This ends common path the "folk" method and the scientific method. Then they go apart.

"Folk" growing method

Amateur enthusiasts, accustomed to doing everything in the old fashioned way, immediately advise the composition of the earthen mixture:

Soil pH should be between 5.5 and 6.5.

If the soil is acidic, add lime.

It is readily believed that there are a lot of fallen rotten leaves in the tropical forest, but it is hard to believe that cows or horses are actively grazing there (this is about humus).

After making the mixture, be sure to disinfect it. What if a tropical visitor doesn't like the bacteria living in our manure? And after disinfection (steaming for 30 minutes over steam) - leave for 2-3 weeks in a cool place to restore microflora.

Seeds are planted to a depth of 2 cm. Moisten the soil and cover with a transparent cap or film. After the emergence of shoots, the film is removed. The air temperature should constantly be + 22-25 ° С.

Further care comes down to tying a growing vine to a support, regular spraying with water and transplanting into larger pots 2 times a year.

It is recommended to maintain the temperature regime: in summer + 22-25 °С, in winter it should be reduced to +18 °С. According to the "folk" academicians - for the plant to rest. It is believed that with this mode of cultivation, the plant should bloom and produce berries in the second year.

Closer to the truth

The Portuguese who discovered the Malabar coast called it the coast of eternal rains.

A narrow strip, no more than 2 kilometers wide, is completely covered with swamps. The dominant landscape is tropical evergreen forests that never know what winter or seasonal drop in air temperature is!

Lateritic soil - formed by fallen leaves. It is characterized by a high content of iron and aluminum, a residual content of alkalis, an acidic reaction (pH 4-5.5), a small amount of silica.

Such soils are poor nutrients, rough, red color. Tropical vegetation of the lower tier - creepers and orchids.

Here it is, the Golden Grain for growing black pepper at home. It grows next to orchids, on the same trees, on the same land. And the same butterflies fly to pollinate them.

Therefore, there is no need to reinvent the wheel and come up with “compositions” of soil rich in organic matter. It is enough to take a manual for growing orchids at home (fortunately there are a lot of them) and you will receive detailed guide to the cultivation of black pepper.

So, for planting seeds, we buy ready-made soil mixture (for orchids). We put the pot with the plant in a pan with water on the grate, so that the bottom of the pot does not sink into the water, and cover it with a wire frame with a stretched plastic film on top. The water pan should be wide and not deep so that there is a large evaporation surface. We put the structure in a warm + 25-30 ° С place. For further use, we are preparing a growbox - this is the topic of a separate article.

The grow box maintains exactly the same humidity, light and temperature throughout the year. No winters! No transfers! No organic fertilizers! Nearby as "beacons" we place orchid plants and observe their well-being. If they grow and bloom well, then black pepper also feels great!

Conclusion

Sometimes it is useful, after reading the “tips” on the Internet, to look into a reference book or encyclopedia and find out how much the author bothered himself, undertaking to rewrite in his own way the stupidity prescribed by someone once.