TIMUT PEPPER TREE AB

The Timut pepper tree ( Zanthoxylum armatum ) appeals to cooks for its powerful citrus flavor, particularly grapefruit . The Timut pepper tree is a small tree about 4 to 6 m tall, well known to lovers of Asian cuisine. Its ground berries are used to enhance dishes, thanks to their delicious citrus notes that go very well with fish , scallops , but also raw vegetables and vinaigrettes .

Growing Timut Pepper

The Timut pepper plant grows very well in our latitudes, avoiding regions with very cold winters (below -5°C , it will lose a large part of its vegetation, the plant survives at -10/-15°C ), while being careful of late spring frosts which burn the young shoots and early flowering. The small spring flowering will give rise to the famous pink berries to be harvested in the autumn.

Caution : Since the bark of all pepper species is toxic, you should not place your pepper plants in an enclosure where animals could gnaw the bark.

Successful sowing of Timut pepper

Place the seeds in a cold place for 3 to 4 months , then sow in spring on a well-drained seedbed. Cover the seeds with about 0.5 cm of substrate or sand.
It is also possible to sow in the fall . Place at a relatively cool temperature and keep moist.
Germination is slow and irregular, mark your seedlings well and leave them in place for several months to give each seed a chance.
A germination rate of 40 to 60% under ideal conditions is a maximum for this species.

How to grow Timut pepper?

Plant it in spring or fall before winter, as if it were a fruit tree .
The Timut pepper tree appreciates light , drained soils, not too dry, and a sunny exposure. An addition of organic fertilizer , manure or compost, may be necessary once a year for fruit production.
It is quite resistant to cold, but be careful to protect it from late frosts using a wintering fleece. Water it well once a week the first year and mulch the base to limit evaporation from the soil.
You can also grow it in a pot , although it will need to be watered regularly and pruned green .
You can prune it after harvest or at the end of winter if you wish.
The Timut pepper tree is less hardy than its Sichuan cousin, so planting it in the ground is best reserved for regions with mild winters. It is sensitive to very strong frosts, especially spring frosts; it will need to be protected.

How to harvest Timut pepper?

You can harvest the berries in October when you see the black seed . Be careful of the very prickly thorns . It is not this black seed that interests us in cooking, but its red envelope which you will cut carefully. The black berry is not edible.
Sort, peel, and dry on a radiator or in a ventilated dryer overnight at 40°C in a thin layer. You can then separate the black seeds from the red husks.
It will take at least 3 to 4 years for the pepper plant to begin producing its first berries .

How to store Timut pepper?

You can store the berry shell in an airtight jar .

How to cook Timut pepper?

Its ground berries are used to enhance dishes. Its citrus notes go very well with fish , scallops , but also raw vegetables and vinaigrettes .