Sunday, October 31, 2010

Pepper (Capsicum annuum)

Peppers are tender and warm-season vegetable. There are two types of peppers, Sweet peppers and Hot peppers.

Sweet peppers are large-fruited, mild-flavored and bell types. The sweet peppers include Bell, Banana, Pimiento and Sweet Cherry.

The hot peppers include Cayenne, Celestial, Large Cherry, Serrano, Tabasco, and Jalapeno. Hot peppers are usually allowed to ripen fully and change colors and are smaller, longer, thinner and more tapering fruits than sweet peppers.

Pepper cultivation FAQ
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/vegetables/pepper.html

Pepper soup
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~mjw/recipes/soup/pepper-soup-coll.html

Medicinal usage
As a medicinal plant, peppers have been used as a carminative, digestive irritant, stomachic, stimulant, rubefacient, and tonic. The plants have also been used as folk remedies for dropsy, colic, diarrhea, asthma, arthritis, muscle cramps, and toothache.

Prolonged contact with the skin may cause dermatitis and blisters, while excessive consumption can cause gastroenteritis and kidney damage.

Consumption of red pepper may aggravate symptons of duodenal ulcers. High levels of ground hot pepper have induced stomach ulcers and cirrhosis of the liver in laboratory animals.

Body temperature, flow of saliva, and gastric juices may be stimulated by peppers.


(variety of peppers)