What's life without the zing and tang of peppers? Their presence in Mexican and Indian cuisines is what makes the food tongue-tingling and interesting. Contrary to the myth that they cause irritation to the stomach and may cause stomach ulcers, it is quite the reverse and in effect aids in digestion. The active ingredient in red bell peppers is a compound called capsaicin, which lends it its tingling flavor. When consumed capsaicin triggers the release of endorphins, which have a pain relieving effect on the body.

Peppers also provide your daily dose of ß-carotene and vitamin C. They prevent formation of blood clots in the body, thereby preventing heart attacks and strokes. They are also known to speed up your BMR (basal metabolic rate), thereby aiding in weight loss.

So why not make chillies and peppers a part of your garden? A vast range of garden peppers (pimiento, tabasco, cayenne, chili and paprika) may be grown in the garden. They are grown in the same way as tomatoes. It is advised to plant them as soon as the danger of frost is over. They need good soil condition and hence the soil needs to be fertilized well. Transplants can be set 18-24" apart. Uniform moisture is absolutely necessary, or else the immature fruits will abort, if subjected to a dry period.

Interestingly, the heat of the pepper can be measured by high-pressure liquid chromatographic methods and presented in Scoville units. Named after the chemist Dr. Wilbur Scoville, who devised the Scoville Organoleptic test, an elegant method to determine the heat in peppers, it essentially measures the amount of capsaicin the pepper has. Higher the Scoville units, the hotter it gets. According to this scale, the sweet Italian peppers rate zero, while Jalapenos rate 2500-5000 Scovilles. Tabasco, Aji and Cayenne start to scorch at 30,000-50,000 Scoville units. Until 1995, the hottest pepper ever tested was a Red Savina Habanero, which notched a formidable 577,000 Scovilles. But even this has to be content with he second place with Naga Jolokia, coming from Tezpur, a small town in the north-eastern state of Assam in India, measuring up to an incredible 855,000 Scoville heat units.

Also See our Vegetable Guide

If you like Growing Vegetables....These pages might also interest you:

Good Looking Vegetable Gardens, Growing Garlic, History of the Tomato, How to Grow a Great Pepper, When are Vegetables Ripe?, Growing Oversized Vegetables, Growing Peas in the Garden, Growing Tomatoes, Tips for Growing Potatoes