Black Pepper- Herb of the Month May 2020

HERB OF THE MONTH! May 2020

💥Black Pepper💥

Latin name= Piper nigrum

Black pepper was once known as Black Gold and is easy to dismiss as a culinary spice used simply for taste but there’s a reason that it was considered to be gold to our ancestors. Besides being flavorful black pepper strongly supports digestive system issues, as well as increases circulation, and makes all your other foods more bioavailable. It is the most popular spice of our modern-day and accounts for one fifth of the total spice trade in the world. Commonly used in India for at least four thousand years and presumably much longer it spread from there to the ancient Egyptians and Romans. When Rome was attacked by Attila the Hun and King Alaric I in the 5th century they demanded, amongst other things, 3,000 pounds of peppercorns each. Although Rome quickly complied with their demands they attacked the city anyway, which is thought of as the fall of Rome. During the middle ages peppercorns were considered an important trade good. They were referred to as “black gold” and were even used like money to pay taxes and dowries.

The Types of Peppercorns:

You may have noticed red white and green varieties in addition to the common black peppercorn all of these come from the same plant but are prepared differently to achieve the different looks and slightly different tastes. Black peppercorns are harvested when unripe, boiled briefly, and then dried in the Sun. White peppercorns are harvested when fully ripe. Their outer flesh is removed so that only the seed remains. Green peppercorns are harvested when unripe then treated to preserve the green coloring usually through freeze-drying, pickling, or other means. Red peppercorns are harvested when fully ripe then treated to preserve the red coloring in a similar fashion. All of these have a broad range of use they are hot and stimulating which make them useful for variety of cold and flu symptoms such as fevers with chills and for mucus congestion. Peppercorns quicken the circulation by increasing blood vessel size and can be used for signs of stagnant circulation such as cold hands and feet.

Growing Peppercorns:

Pepper isn’t grown commercially in the U.S. This perennial vine is hardy only in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 11b through 12, and thrives in moist, humid conditions. Few U.S. locales provide the necessary growing requirements. However, you can grow peppercorns at home with a little extra patience. In addition to its culinary value, pepper makes a lovely houseplant or landscaping plant with its glossy, evergreen leaves and large flowers. Learn how to plant and grow your own peppercorns @

https://www.offthegridnews.com/food/the-ultimate-guide-to-growing-black-pepper/

Once the seeds germinate, seedlings can be replanted when they stand four to six inches tall. If you live in a very warm climate, plant them directly outdoors in a protected location with partial shade. The plants need rich, moist, well-draining soil and warm, humid conditions. Peppers can’t tolerate temperatures below sixty degrees. Bring plants indoors or wrap them in a blanket if colder weather threatens. In other parts of the country, plant peppercorns in large pots. Grow them outdoors during the summer and move them indoors during the winter, or grow them year-round in a conservatory or greenhouse. Houseplants need bright light and consistent moisture. Spray the foliage regularly with a bottle of water to increase humidity. Don’t allow room temperatures to fall below sixty degrees.

Pepper plants have long, vigorous vines and can reach twelve to fifteen feet high. The plants need a strong trellis or structure to scramble over. Indoors, you can install a trellis in a large pot or even grow them as a hanging plant instead. The fruits develop after a plant reaches 3-4 years in maturity. The fruits grow in what is botanically referred to as a drupe (same as raspberries). They are most often harvested when unripe (green).

Using Black Pepper

​For Increasing Bioavailability

The absolute best thing about black pepper is its ability to increase the amount of nutrients that you absorb. This is referred to as potentiating bioavailability, and black pepper can do this with herbs, foods, and even pharmaceutical drugs. Adding a bit of black pepper to your herbal formulas or to your dinner plate means that you have potentiated the quantities of nutrients of the food you are eating. It makes sense to try to get the most nutrients out of our food and black pepper can help us.

A well-known example of black Peppers ability to dramatically increase nutrient absorption is the effect of adding it to curcumin an extract of turmeric. One study reported that piperine, an extract of black pepper, increased the bioavailability of curcumin by two thousand percent. Piperine also has been shown to increase the bioavailability of echinacea and berberine-containing plants like goldenseal. It has also proven to dramatically increase absorption of Coenzyme q10, betacarotene, selenium, and vitamin b6.

For Digestive Issues

Black pepper support healthy digestion. Do you ever feel like food is just sitting in your stomach or do you have other signs of slow digestion like bloating or gas? Black peppers spicy attributes warm digestion to get things moving, on the opposite end of the spectrum it can also be use to stop diarrhea. Even when used externally one study showed that stir fried white pepper effectively stopped both chronic and acute diarrhea in infants and children when applied externally over the Naval.

For Pain

Some have used black pepper topically to treat pain associated with neuralgia and skin irritation, and it may also possess antimicrobial and diuretic properties. To make a pepper salve: crush fresh black peppercorns (about 1 cup) and put into a glass jar fill with oil (atleast1 cup your choice olive, avocado, grapeseed etc.) and let steep for 4 to 6 weeks. Strain pepper from the oil.

Add oil to a double boiler with a ½ cup of chopped beeswax and heat until well combined. It will harden/thicken as it cools.

Key Constituents: volatile oils (sabinene, limonene, caryophyllene, β-pinene, α-pinenes), acid amines (e.g., piperines), and fatty acids. Vitamin K, an antioxidant known for supporting healthy blood, as well as potassium, manganese, iron, zinc, magnesium, and calcium. Pepper also contains small amounts of the B-vitamins pyridoxine (or B6), riboflavin, niacin and thiamin, as well as Vitamins A and E. It also includes flavonoids such as carotenes, zeaxanthin, lycopene, and piperine.

Magical Attributes

Gender: masculine Planet: Mars

Element: Fire

Powers: protection, exorcism

Magical Uses: Pepper is added to amulets as a protectant against the evil eye, and when worn it frees the mind of envious thoughts. Mixed with salt and scattered about the property it dispels evil.

Notes on Using Black Pepper:

I like to have it freshly ground onto every meal I eat. Go get the most out of your pepper buy whole peppercorns and then grind them as needed. Once they are ground the aromatics evaporate very quickly so old ground pepper is of little benefit. Adding fresh ground pepper to your meals is a great way to enjoy the benefits of the spice. If using black pepper for more therapeutic reasons such as for arthritis or cold and flu symptoms. The recommended therapeutic amount ranges from 1 to 15 grams per day.

Precautions: large doses of black pepper may cause nausea and digestive upset. It could potentially act as a synergist with many pharmaceutical drugs, which means that it can increase the effects of a drug in unexpected ways. If you are taking pharmaceuticals, consult with your doctor before taking anything more than a normal culinary amount.

Sources: Alchemy of Herbs by Rosalee de la Foret chapter 5, Cunninghams Encyclopedia of Magical herbs page 199, Sciencedirect.com, offthegridnews.com, vervana.com, herbmentor.com

Favorite Recipe- it is difficult to figure out a recipe where Black Pepper is the star. In Rosalee's book she used a peppery Borscht, I am coping her choice with my own Beet Soup recipe that I adapted from a borscht recipe many years ago.

Spicy Beet Soup

• 1 ½ cups sweet potato

• 2 cups beets

• 6 cups broth (chicken or veggie)

• 2 tbsp butter

• 1 ½ cups onion

• 4-6 garlic cloves

• 1 cup chopped beet greens

• 1 tbsp caraway seeds

• 1 celery stalk

• 1 large carrot

• 2 cups red cabbage

• 3 tbsp course ground black Pepper

• 2 bay leaves

• Handful of shitake mushrooms

• 2tbsp balsamic vinegar

• 2tbsp honey

• 3tbsp tomato puree

• Green onion and Sour cream for garnish

Chop everything up as you would for a soup.

1. Sautee butter and onions until onions are translucent. Then add garlic, caraway seeds, black pepper, and bay leaves sautee for one minute more.

2. Add celery, carrots, beets, cabbage, sweet potatoes, mushrooms and stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and Simmer until veggies are tender about 30 minutes.

3. Stir in balsamic vinegar greens honey and tomato puree cover and simmer another 5 to 10 minutes.

4. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and green onions optional but highly recommended.