How to Grow and Process Black Pepper

Black pepper is the most popular spice in America. Every home has a pepper shaker or pepper mill on their table. Fresh black pepper has a better pungent fiery flavor than the ground pepper you buy in the store. With a little knowledge you can grow and process the peppercorns that makes black pepper.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Black Pepper Plant
• Pot
• Soil
• Dehydrating Machine
• Pepper Mill

1. Order the plant online, when the plant arrives carefully unwrap plant. remove plastic and packing material. Water plant and put in area with light for two days to let plant settle from being shipped.

2. Repot the plant after two days by gentlely removing plant and putting into pot that fit’s the roots. Place soil around plant. Juggle plant to get air out of soil. Do not put small plant into large pot. If pot is to large for roots it will invite root disease. When the pot gets full of roots then repot to a bigger pot.

3. Give black pepper plant a lot of light and partial shade. Fertilize once a week in summer. Plant will not grow or flower unless temperature is above 70 degrees. Flowers will appear when pepper plant is about three years old. It blooms in late summer and the fruit will ripen in December or January. The fruit forms on long spikes.

4. Pick the fruit on the black pepper plant when the fruit on the spike start to turn red. Take the fruit-peppercorns- off the spikes.

5. Boil the peppercorns about ten minutes. Make sure the water is boiling when you put in the peppercorns. The heat will rupture the walls and speed the drying process.

6. Dry peppercorns in dehydrator for three to five days. Check after three days to see if peppercorn are dry. If not dry put back on dehydrator. Check daily until peppercorns are dry. This produces the black peppercorn. Put peppercorn in a pepper mill and grind as needed.

Tips & Warnings

• Mix cow manure with potting soil for a good fertile soil for black pepper plant.
• Bring plant inside house when weather starts to turn cool.
• Temperature need to stay above 45 degrees
• Place in a protected area in shade for two days before bringing into house.
• Humidity need to be 50%
• Mist plant when air is dry
• Place a bowl of water next to plant to keep humidity in the air.

[cheriekuranko]

on 11/1/2009 PS 5 ***** and recommended you too

[cheriekuranko]

on 11/1/2009 Fabulous article. I garden a lot and have never seen an article about growing black pepper plants. Any suggestions on best sources to buy one?

[amylaine]

on 11/1/2009 I never knew why people did not just start the plant in a big pot till now. Never thought about route disease. Well that kind of shows how much a Gardner I a m. thanks for the tips.

[maryanne09]

on 10/9/2009 Great article on How to Grow and Process Black Pepper! 5*'s and a recommend! :o)

[botticelli728]

on 9/29/2009 Cool idea, and great instructions. 5*