Hot pepper Habanero: description, photo, growing at home, how many scovilles, reviews

Habanero peppers are very spicy, but tasty and healthy. Culture can be grown on your own site, but before that you need to learn the basic rules.

Origin

Habanero peppers are native to Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and the Caribbean. In these regions, the vegetable was grown many centuries ago by the ancient Incas and Mayans. After the discovery of America by Columbus, pepper spread throughout the world. Its popularity was so high that in the XNUMXth century, many botanists believed that the product originally appeared in Asia, and from there it got to the countries of the Amazon. Habanero peppers are named after the Cuban city of Havana.

Description of Habanero pepper with photo

Habanero pepper bushes rise up to 1 m above the ground and are compact in size. The plant has branched stems and elliptical small leaves. The flowers are solitary, with white, cream or purple petals.

Habanero fruits are heart-shaped and look like paprika. Their length usually does not exceed 6 cm, and their width is 2,5 cm. The skin of the fruit is smooth, with a wax coating, the color is usually orange, red or dark brown, although white or pink varieties are also found. Pepper gains color gradually, and at the first stages of ripening remains green.

The mass of fruits in Habanero peppers averages 35-50 g

Hotness of Habanero Peppers on the Scoville Scale

To determine the spiciness of vegetables, it is customary to use a special Scoville scale. Habanero pepper is closer to its upper part. The sharpness of the fruit ranges from 100000 to 475000 units, depending on the variety.

Characteristics of the Habanero Pepper

Before planting pepper on the site, you need to study its features and scope. The product is used not only in cooking, but also for medicinal purposes.

Yield and fruiting time

Habanero pepper has a high yield – one adult bush is able to bring 90-100 vegetables per year or 2-3 kg. At the same time, fruiting indicators are highly dependent on weather conditions. In tropical regions, the species forms ovaries throughout the year and shows maximum yield. In a temperate climate, the fruits ripen only once per season, and up to 1 kg of vegetables can be harvested from one plant on average.

The ripening of pepper takes 90-100 days from the moment of planting. Usually harvested in the middle or end of summer.

Disease resistance

The culture has good immunity and rarely suffers from fungal diseases. Sometimes it is affected by fusarium and black leg. Planting pests are attacked by aphids, nematodes and whiteflies.

Growing regions

The heat-loving type of hot pepper does not take root well in temperate climates. All over the world and in Our Country, the vegetable is bred in subtropical and tropical regions.

The main growing regions are Panama, Colombia and Ecuador, as well as Texas, California and Idaho in the USA. In Our Country, it is most convenient to breed a culture in the Krasnodar Territory, in the Rostov Region and in the Crimea.

You can plant Habanero peppers both in open ground and in a greenhouse.

Useful Properties

Hot Habanero pepper has numerous valuable properties. It is used not only in cooking, but also in medicine. The product contains:

• vitamins of group B;
• copper, iron and iodine;
• ascorbic acid;
• retinol;
• vitamin D;
• alkaloids;
• calcium.

Of particular note is the substance capsaicin in the composition of hot peppers. It has pronounced analgesic properties and accelerates metabolic processes in the body.

With moderate use of Habanero:

• fights inflammation and infectious processes;
• helps to lose weight and increases the absorption of valuable substances;
• reduces pressure in hypertension;
• improves the condition with flu and colds;
• relieves pain and eliminates swelling in joint ailments;
• improves the condition of hair and skin;
• promotes the production of endorphins;
• helps fight stress and depression.

Pepper fruits can be used as a natural aphrodisiac. The product accelerates blood circulation, prevents congestion in the pelvic area and stimulates libido in men and women.

Methods of Use

The culture has a very pungent taste and causes a sensation of a real fire in the mouth. All varieties are highly pungent. At the same time, in orange varieties, one can additionally distinguish bitter notes and citrus aroma, and in chocolate ones, a light “smoky” aftertaste.

In cooking, the culture is used both fresh and dried. It is impossible to use pepper fruits as an independent product, therefore Habanero is used as a spicy seasoning. The spice pairs best:

• with vegetable salads;
• with seafood;
• with fish and meat;
• with hot soups.

In medicine, hot pepper extracts are added mainly to painkillers intended for external use. Ointments and gels help to accelerate local blood flow and help to quickly cope with the inflammatory process. Habanero pepper is used for cosmetic purposes. Fresh vegetable juice stimulates hair growth and prevents hair loss. Means with the addition of hot pepper are used to get rid of cellulite.

Advantages and disadvantages

Habanero chili peppers are just as popular as the sweet, mild-tasting varieties for their medicinal properties and numerous uses. The fruits of the culture can be harvested, including for the winter as part of conservation or drying methods.

The Habanero pepper is used as an ornamental plant.

Pros

• low maintenance requirements;
• good yield;
• numerous medicinal properties;
• unique taste characteristics;
• beautiful appearance of the bushes;
• universality.

Cons

• the variety is thermophilic and does not tolerate frost;
• it is necessary to collect fruits with gloves;
• often suffers from nematodes;
• can lead to serious poisoning in case of overdose.

The Best Habanero Varieties

For outdoor cultivation, it is necessary, first of all, to choose a suitable plant variety. There are quite a few varieties, of which several of the most popular can be distinguished.

Habanero Red Caribbean

An early ripe large-fruited variety brings bright red vegetables 110-115 days after planting. It has a pungent taste with light citrus notes and a smoky aroma. On the Scoville scale, it has 330000-445000 units of sharpness.

Habanero Red Caribbean is a traditional element of Mexican cuisine

Habanero Fatal (Habanero Fatal)

Yellow hot habanero peppers are grown primarily in South Africa. The fruits of the variety are cone-shaped elongated. The taste is pleasant, with pronounced fruity notes.

The degree of spiciness of Habanero Fatali is quite low compared to other varieties

Habanero Red Savina (Habanero Red Savina)

Hot red habanero peppers are very juicy and pungent and are used in many South American dishes. On the Scoville scale, it has 200000-250000 units.

Until 2006, Habanero Red Savina was considered the hottest pepper in the world.

Habanero Tigerpaw

Orange hot pepper has a sharpness in the range of 260000-370000 units on the corresponding scale. It has a fruity aroma and light citrus hints on the palate.

The Habanero Tigerpaw Pepper Shows Special Resistance to Fungal Diseases

Habanero Orange

Hot orange habanero peppers have an unusual flavor with distinct apricot notes. The degree of burning reaches 300000 units, the fruits of the variety are golden in color, up to 4 cm in length.

Habanero Orange pepper is considered one of the most decorative varieties.

Habanero White

The variety bears small oval fruits of a whitish color. Reaches 300000 hotness units on a special scale. The disadvantages of Habanero White include its capriciousness and high demands on growing conditions.

Habanero White fruits reach 3 cm in length

Habanero Chocolate

Hot Chocolate Habanero Peppers produce dark brown large and fleshy fruits. It is considered one of the most burning, because on the Scoville scale it has 350000-475000 units.

The taste of Habanero Chocolate contains smoky, peach and citrus notes at the same time.

Growing habanero peppers indoors from seeds

Even in the southern regions, bitter Habanero peppers are grown by seedlings. The culture is extremely susceptible to the smallest cold snaps, therefore, strengthened seedlings are transferred to open ground only at the end of spring.

Terms of planting

Pepper seeds are sown in the soil usually at the end of February. This allows you to get shoots in 2-4 weeks and grow strong and healthy seedlings by the time the final heat is established.

Soil preparation and containers

To grow Habanero peppers in a pot, it is necessary to take care, first of all, of a nutrient substrate. It is usually prepared from humus, garden soil and peat. The components are mixed in a ratio of 1:2:1.

It is recommended to use degradable peat cups as containers. Sowing seeds in a common wooden or plastic box is also allowed. But in this case, the container must first be disinfected by treating it with boiling water or a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

Seed preparation

For successful germination of the Habanero, the seeds must also be processed. The procedure is carried out as follows:

1. Seeds are placed at small intervals on a damp gauze or napkin.
2. Cover the top with another piece of dampened cloth.
3. For several days, they are placed in a moderately lit warm place until sprouts appear.

Before planting, the material can be soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate to protect against fungi.

How to plant habanero pepper seedlings

Planting a vegetable crop is carried out according to the standard scheme:

1. Fill the container or peat pots with prepared soil.
2. The germinated seeds are buried 5 mm into the soil.
3. Copiously spray the soil with warm settled water.
4. Cover the container with foil until sprouts form.

Shelter from the container must be removed daily for ventilation.

When sowing seeds in a common box, a few centimeters of free space are left between them.

Care of seedlings

In the process of caring for Habanero peppers on the windowsill, seedlings must be moistened as the soil dries. At the 3-4 leaf stage, thinning is required when breeding in a large box. Seedlings dive and sit in separate cups.

With a lack of sun, peppers need to be illuminated with special lamps. The duration of the day for him should be at least 16 hours.

Transplanting seedlings of Habanero peppers in open ground

The culture is transferred to the soil in late April or early May after the passage of return frosts. The place is chosen well-lit, but with light shading, without drafts. The site is preliminarily dug up, weeded and fertilized with humus and complex minerals.

Transplantation is carried out directly by the method of transshipment with the preservation of an earthen coma. Holes are dug on average about 50 cm deep.

Outdoor care

Pepper care comes down to a few simple procedures:

1. Watering. It is necessary to moisten the culture on average once every three days, 1,5 liters of water per bush.
2. Top dressing. In spring, during active growth, pepper is fertilized with nitrogen, and during flowering and fruiting, phosphorus and potassium are added.
3. Pruning. It is recommended to remove the first buds on the plant so that the bushes accumulate more strength and then demonstrate maximum yield.

During the season, the soil under the pepper roots must be loosened shallowly to improve oxygen access.

Conclusion

Habanero peppers are an interesting and healthy type of crop with a sharp and burning taste. It is recommended to grow a heat-loving vegetable in the southern regions, but in general, the rules for care are very simple.

Reviews of gardeners about Habanero pepper