Chilli Pepper

Description

Capsicum annuum, which looks like a miniature sweet pepper plant, is an annual in our latitudes but a perennial in its regions of origin. Always appreciated (especially in hot countries) for its edible and very tasty fruits, it is also valued for its ornamental qualities: the oblong or globular fruits, brightly coloured, give their surroundings a decidedly cheerful note. Thanks to their staggered ripening, fruits of two or three different colours can be found on the same plant. Chilli peppers can be grown in open ground or in pots, provided the soil is soft and enriched.

Stem

From a woody stem rise upright, rigid branches: the chilli pepper is a little tree in miniature.

Leaves

The leaves of Capsicum annuum are oval and pointed, shiny; those of Capsicum frutescens are also oval, but have five points.

Flowers

They are white with a fine yellow-orange centre and appear in summer.

Fruits

The leathery, edible fruits are tiny peppers in miniature, which are green when unripe, yellow, vivid red, violet, purple or brown when they reach maturity. They are eaten both fresh and dried and have stimulant properties, antiseptic and digestive.

Cultivation

This very adaptable plant presents no particular difficulties in cultivation: but beware of sudden changes in temperature and of overwatering.

Exposure

The chilli pepper loves a position in full sun.

Propagation

Sowing is done in late spring or at the beginning of summer, when temperatures no longer fall below 15°. The seeds should be carefully covered, with at least one centimetre of soil, as birds are very fond of them.

Growth

The seedlings should be transplanted when they are about fifteen centimetres tall; it is best to leave at least thirty centimetres or so between one plant and the next. As a general rule, it may be interesting to know that if you want decidedly hot fruits you should reduce watering, while if you prefer them mild it is best to be generous with water. It should be borne in mind that Capsicum does not like extremes in either direction and therefore suffers from both drought and excessive humidity; it likes soil that is moist but not waterlogged. As for feeding, on which the colouring of the fruits depends, it is best to fertilise often, but using a smaller quantity of fertiliser than that recommended.

Harvesting

The fruits are harvested in autumn, when the plant loses its leaves; if whole branches are cut and hung upside down to dry, they can then be used in flower arrangements.

Storage

Chilli peppers can be preserved in various ways: whole, after being thoroughly dried in the sun; ground into a fine powder, after being kept briefly in a warm oven, and then placed in airtight jars. A few can be put in a bottle of oil and left there for a month so that they impart their aroma and colour. Finally, if they are picked green and pickled in vinegar, they keep for a long time and can be eaten in salads.

Properties

IN THE KITCHEN: The strong, hot flavour of chilli pepper is ideal for livening up any rather bland dish, but, unlike pepper, chilli pepper has no contraindications, indeed it is beneficial to the body. The Mexican sauce called Tabasco, as famous as it is hot, has as its basic ingredient Capsicum frutescens mixed with vinegar and salt.

Health

Chilli pepper aids digestion by stimulating gastric secretion, acts as a disinfectant, it is particularly rich in vitamin C (but to benefit from this virtue it must be eaten fresh).

Curiosity

It seems that it was Christopher Columbus, returning from Central America in 1493, who introduced to European tables this hot spice, which is still the most widespread in all the tropical regions of the world. The name capsicum (from the Greek “kapto”, that is, “I eat greedily”), which Linnaeus gave to this plant, indicates precisely the enormous success that the chilli pepper immediately enjoyed in Spain and throughout Europe, unlike the tomato and the potato, which had to wait a long time before being well accepted.