This is the twelvemonth of the cayenne , according to theInternational Herb Association . Each year , we make a smirch in the garden for his herb selection , and this yr is no elision . In our front garden , we have two and a one-half row of cayenne peppercorn that we ’ll use for infusing oils to make our salve for sore muscle and joints , make fire cider , and drying and powdering for our personal kitchen .
Cayenne ( Capsicum anuum ) seems like a plant that we all know somewhat well , but just like anything that becomes common to us , we often take some of the more interesting prospect for granted .
The name “ long pepper ” is actually a rather nebulous term . To me , it suggest an stretch , red - when - mature hot pepper . The plant burst my teachings about Latin names a bit , asCapsicum anuumdoesn’t only apply to what I recognize as a cayenne . It also lend oneself to plants we call Capsicum annuum grossum , chili con carne capsicum pepper plant , chiltepin , Christmas pepper , jalapeño and even bell peppercorn . We ’re look at a low - grow immature shrub with white flowers . Cayenne flowers tend to arise singly rather than in multiple , as with some of its relatives , and they ’re completely white , lacking the royal pharynx regain in others . Here in the Midwest , cayenne is an annual , so we plant it every year and glean all we can for winter before doing it all over again .
Cayenne originated in Mesoamerica , where the plant circulate from plaza to place in the stomach of birds . The fruit — what we call the pepper — is actually a berry and was swallowed whole in most cases . Birdsdon’t register the heatthat we do when eating peppers , so they have long been a favorite . I can honestly say that I have never seen a bird hopping through my Madagascar pepper row , as I never felt they were a marauder I need to manage , but now I ’ll be on the lookout .
Growing Cayenne
The plant in this family like a fair amount of nitrogen to get jump — just the thing that come ready made when you are chuck out from the digestive tract of a Bronx cheer ! Next , they really wish a second of calcium fertiliser as the plant develops . We usecomfrey teaand compost preparations as an program for all ourSolanaceaefamily members . Just before the flora bloom , it likes a side salad dressing of something high in potassium — we’ll be using dandelion . The plants appreciate a well drained soil and full sun .
dame may have once been crucial in the dispersion of the cayenne pepper , but once the plant was discovered by Internet Explorer , such as Christopher Columbus , the come would begin to move around in the hands of humans . Today , there are well over 3,000 unlike varieties ofCapsicumthanks to the informality of cross - pollination and the fight of the human nature .
Cayenne comes in at 30,000 to 50,000 scoville building block , pretty middle of the route look at that the hottest pepper right now is the ghost Piper nigrum at 1,000,000 scoville units . It seems that every class there is something hotter as human race impound their chest of drawers and seek to surpass the next person on who can produce a hot pepper … and then who can use up it !
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Using Cayenne
If you are planting cayenne pepper in your garden , you’re able to do good from it in a number of ways . locally , the capsaicin is good in reducing the inflammation and pain of arthritis . you’re able to also use the same preparation , often an steep oil , tosoothe painful muscles . Internally , this industrial plant is a digestive excitant and a cardiovascular soda . I use the powder in the kitchen to stop the haemorrhage when someone gets fanatical with a knife . you may even make a nebulizer to guard off some of the coarse pestilence that attack houseplants .
We ’ll be making quite a few of our typical farm intersection with the bountifulness of peppers harvested from our plant . We ’ll also be enjoying the warm spice in quite a few repast . The one affair I wo n’t be up to this summertime is crossing my plants , see for something to melt my expression !
