Peppers

Few things in our culinary adventure ever brings us as much painful delight as these adorable fruits. What is your story with peppers? I'm sure you certainly have a story to tell. Honestly, I do too and I'll be telling you a personal encounter with this "wonderfruit" delight called pepper I won't forget. I will also share a few things I hope you'll be excited to know about peppers.

Before then, thanks a bunch for stopping by to read my post. I'm pretty excited to be here in this community. I hope to get better acquainted with everyone here and of course, if there are any special guidelines, I look forward to receiving them from the MODs. One love! ❤️

My Unforgettable Encounter with Pepper 😂

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I was still a kid, and here in my locality, we grind pepper using mortar and pestle. As a child getting used to the routine in the kitchen, I was totally unaware of how errant pepper seeds could be when they are being pounded. So eager to finish off and run back to play, or maybe too eager to finish so the food would be cooked in time, I pounded with too much excitement. Then, piah! An errant seed jumped straight into my eye. I can literally feel the pain as it was back then each time I recall this incident. But here is what made the whole episode interesting. While I was wailing at the top of my voice, my mother, who seemed to have known the ways of pepper, came along with a pinch of salt, instructed me to open my mouth which I did and she placed some salt on my tongue. Tadah! My teary eyes felt peace and the wild burning from the pepper seed abated almost instantly. I hope this works for you next time Mr pepper visits your eye. 😂 It saved me on that day.

And here are two other tricks to try if pepper becomes hostile and tries to ruin your moment.

• If you handled pepper with your bare hands and it begins to hurt with it's trademark burning sensation, rinse the hand with Coca cola or any other cola drink.
• If there's too much pepper in a meal, or you just felt like taking a bite off the attractive fruit while it's fresh, just drink a glass of milk to soothe your tongue and mouth, it works instantly.

Peppers and your Health

You may already be aware that peppers, like most other fruits, are good for the body. But what are some of those benefits we get besides a tasty meal when we eat pepper?

• Pepper is good for your heart. Yes, peppers are rich in potassium and capsaicin which help lower blood pressure and cholesterol and improve the overall health of your cardiovascular system. So if you eat loads of pepper, you save yourself from the risk of heart diseases. 👍 Learn more here
• Pepper is rich in multivitamins. Yes, eating peppers are a sure way to get loads of some of the essential vitamins your body needs. It is reported that a single bell pepper can provide up to 169% of the RDI of vitamin C. Other vitamins and minerals in bell peppers include vitamin K1, vitamin E, vitamin A, folate, and potassium. 👍 Learn more here
• Peppers contain loads of antioxidants. You may already be familiar with the importance of antioxidants in cell repair and longevity. Good news is peppers are loaded many healthy antioxidants, including capsanthin, violaxanthin, lutein, quercetin, and luteolin. 👍 Learn more here
• Peppers prevent anaemia. Anemia is caused by iron deficiency. Pepper prevents that by providing both iron and vitamin c which enhances the uptake of iron in the gut. So instead if expensive supplements, try some loads of pepper in your meals.👍 Learn more here
• Peppers protect your eyes. Eye health is very important and peppers come handy here providing loads of carotenoids especially Lutein and zeaxanthin, and other antioxidants which improve eye health and protect your retina from oxidative damage. 👍 Learn more here

Did you know?

• Peppers have been genetically modified to provide high yields of capsaicin, piperine and other chemicals which are used in medicine to quicken healing after surgery and in the production of pepper spray for crime prevention (self defense).
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• Some pepper are not hot at all, in fact there are sweet varieties of pepper. Yes, sweet, like a fruit should be.

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• Some variety of pepper are too hot to be eaten raw or even to be used in meals. Yes, there are military grade pepper. A bite of this can kill an adult is few minutes from anaphylactic shock. So, beware of Dragon's breath, Devil's breath and Pepper X. These fruits can burn your throat to your death in no time.

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• Some variety of pepper don't look like pepper at all.
  😂 But don't let the look deceive you, they feel a lot alike, if not worse than some pepper. Even their leaves can send your nose running if used aplenty in a meal. Try black pepper leaves for spice, you'll love the aroma!

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• You can cultivate pepper all year round to enjoy them fresh from your garden daily.

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Conclusion

Peppers are everywhere. If you don't have them in your garden, try planting some today!
Peppers are good for your health, especially your eyes and your heart. Enjoy eating pepper. If the feel makes you uncomfortable, always have a glass of milk close by to soothe your palate. Grow some peppers today, you'd love them fresh!