The Chilli plant is a small, perennial shrub with a woody stem. Chillies are a great addition to add flavor to meals that ask for a spicy flavor.

With an array of shades from green, yellow to reds and oranges, they are probably the easiest fruit to grow, as certain species can grow pretty much anywhere. However, it is important to acknowledge where you are planting them, as to not interfere with any budding blooms or herbs nearby.

If you prefer your garden to bloom with flora and fauna, then a potted option for your chillies can help create a beautiful show of colour on a windowsill in the kitchen for easy access during cooking or on a stoep, table or veranda outdoors in direct sunlight. Try placing a number of pots in a row down steps to add colour and variety to the garden or fix the pots to a wall in different spots to create a vertical garden of chillies.  This can be done in many ways, however bolting shelves to a wall and placing the pots on top of each one will allow you to remove and replace the potted plants when needed.

Planting instructions:

1. Take a small or medium size pot and fill about a quarter of it with soil.
2. Plant the seeds. Ensure each variety is in its own pot due to different germination times.
3. Top with more soil and leave about an inch at the top
4. Water until the soil is moist and place in a sunny spot
5. Then water once a week
6. When the chilli plant starts to sprout you can add compost and allow to grow further.

Once developed into a chilli, the fruity flesh can be eaten at any point as it ripens. Here, the flavour will be the preference, as greener chillies tend to be bitterer and have a more intense heat.

“As a Culinary Artist, I know that chillies come in an array of forms from fresh, dried, powdered, and even bottled and the level of heat and flavour varies with different types. Also, a small tip to remember is that chillies come in levels of hotness and I find the smaller they are, the greater the intensity of heat they inflict,” says Kirstie Du Toit from Granny Mouse Country House & Spa.

There is an official heat scale for chillies known as The Scoville scale, developed by Wilbur Scoville in 1912. A sweet pepper scores 0 on the scale, Jalapeño and chipotle chillies score anything between 2,500 to 10,000 and habañero and Scotch bonnet score 80,000 to 300,000 plus! (http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/chilli)

Did you know?

1. Removing the seeds from chillies reduces the heat
2. Chillies are known to be a source of vitamin-C (health.com)
3. The powder from dried Chilli is one of the ingredients in curry powder
4. Adding freshly cut chilli to a dish early on will reduce the level of heat. Adding at the end will produce a more intense heat. However, when it comes to chilli powder in a curry dish, add this in the beginning after onion and garlic as it needs time to cook to release the flavour and heat. Adding it at the end will not give you a desirable taste.
5. Chilli complements dark chocolate