Growing cayenne peppers is one of the most popular and easiest of gardening tasks. Cayenne peppers are not the hottest of peppers, but run middle range to hot, they grow to three feet tall at maturity, and two feet wide. Because of the peppers ability to produce so many peppers on one plant, only one or two plants might be necessary to feed a household.
The type of soil necessary for pepper growing is moist but not too soggy, with good drainage, and inside a container bed. They should not be planted nearby any other species of peppers such as bells or sweet peppers due to the possibility of cross-pollination. Mulching the container bed with straw to help with drainage is a good idea.
Growing cayenne peppers in full sun is their preference. The plants can be purchased from garden centers. Plants should be chosen that don’t yet have any blooms or fruit. It takes from 70 to 80 days for a plant to bear fruit once its been planted, and its important the planting take place after any danger of frost.
Cayennes give meals a good spicy kick. Since their heat runs middle of the road, they are great for dishes requiring more spice than a bell pepper might provide, but not quite as hot as a habanero. When the seeds and inside skin is removed, much of this fiery heat is lost, if that is the intention of the cook.
Growing cayenne peppers is a good way to get started in Mexican cooking, as cayennes are used frequently in these dishes. Many people use cayennes for all sorts of dishes, and they are a staple of Cajun food as well. In the south, it is common practice to pickle cayenne peppers. Stuffed in a jar, then filled with vinegar, the resulting juice is used to flavor collard greens. The juice can be replenished by adding more vinegar, as this process does not cause the peppers to lose any of their heat.
Native to south and central America, the cayenne is also known by other names:
-African Pepper
-Red Bird Pepper
-Cockspur Pepper
-Goats Pepper
-Devils Tongue
-Hot Flame
Growing cayenne peppers is also done for medicinal uses. Capsaicin is the prime ingredient in cayennes that gives them their heat. Although this substance might be hot to the tongue, it aids in the treatment of digestive tract problems and other maladies such as:
-congestion
-toothaches
-fevers
-migraines
-muscle pains and sprains
-can improve blood circulation when applied topically
Cayenne can be used as a condiment much like salt and pepper, and be purchased or eventually dried and crushed into the same texture and density as any chili powder. It is great tasting over fish, cheese dishes, sauces and soups and egg salads.
Thai food uses a lot of cayenne pepper in its dishes and some examples of those are: Peanut Dipping Sauce, Tart Fish Curry, Pad Thai, as well as Tex Mex recipes like Chili, Black Bean Soup, Guacamole, Hummus and Corn Bread.
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