Turmeric

Turmeric is in the news a lot these days, and rightfully so. It's the humble earthy flavor in the background of many, many Indian dishes. It's the savory flavor (and strange yellow coloring!) you know and remember from most canned chicken soup. But it's not being talked about in blogs and social media these days so much for those reasons, as for the new understandings of its health and medicinal properties. Some of the most common benefits relate to its anti-inflammatory properties. Here's a link to the top 10 scientifically backed benefits of turmeric.

While most cuisine has developed to work with turmeric in its dried and powdered form, fresh turmeric roots can be used instead, diced, crushed, or sauteed into recipes.

Turmeric is a tropical plant but can be grown in colder climates with some effort. Seed rhizomes are planted in crates or trays in a greenhouse in March, kept indoors til safely past the area's frost date, and transplanted outdoors. By that time, roots will be sprouted out of many nodes of the rhizome, and one or more green shoots will have emerged from the soil medium as well.

From that late spring planting, turmeric grows slowly and steadily, waiting for adequate warmth and moisture to put on a late spurt in July and August. Harvest will occur in late September, ideally, as it is not cold hardy and the underground roots cannot experience cold without getting damaged.

I sourced my seed rhizomes from Biker Dude Puna Organics - as far as my research goes, they're the only reliable source of clean seed rhizomes. I will have quantities of 3 varieties available for sale- Red Hawaiian, White Mango, and Indira Yellow.

Currently online sales of turmeric will not be available, but I will be bringing freshly harvested "hands" (whole root complexes from one plant, usually 3-8 ounces) to all my garlic festivals and farmer's markets. If you would like me to bring you some to an IRL (in-real-life) event I'm attending, please contact me and I can bring some reserved and set aside. Pricing will be by the hand, at $16-$20 per pound. Fresh young turmeric doesn't have the rough outer skin of older roots grown for two years in tropical climates- so no lost weight or time due to peeling!