When we visited the Totally Tomato show at the weekend, I bought a beautiful chilli plant - the Summer Heat variety. It’s got at least 20 fruits on it, with lots more on the way. Most of the fruits are ready to be picked and I’m at a loss as to what to do with soo many!
I’ve done a bit of research on this variety and it’s considered a Pizza Pepper. It’s medium pungency, which is ideal for me; due to the IBS, I have to be fairly careful these days! Although, I have recently discovered chillis do have health properties too…
Chillis make you sweat, which helps to cleanse the body, break fevers and fight infection. They also improve blood circulation and can help equalize blood pressure.
Chillis contain a chemical called Capsaicin (which makes them hot). Capsaicin triggers the production of endorphins in the body which are natural painkillers. I’m sure I’ve read somewhere that a cream has been developed for rheumatism containing chilli extracts to help fight the pain; I must try to find the article again!
This is what Wikipedia has to say about chillis…
The chili pepper, chile pepper, or chilli pepper, or simply chilli, chili or chile, is the fruit of the plant Capsicum from the nightshade family, Solanaceae. The name comes from Nahuatl via the Spanish word chile. These terms usually refer to the smaller, hotter types of capsicum; the mild larger types are called bell pepper (or “Capsicum” in Australia).
Chile peppers and their various cultivars originate in the Americas; they are now grown around the world because they are widely used as spices or vegetables in cuisine, and even as medicine.
I’m going to keep some seeds, to see if I can grow some more plants next year. March to April is the sowing season. Comment or contact me if you’d like some of the seeds sent to you - obviously there’s a limited supply!
I’d really like to do something a little different with all my chillis, so I’d love to hear your recipe suggestions and don’t forget to let me know your chilli growing tips too.
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