Turmeric

Fun Facts :

Vareties we grow : Hawaiian Red, Indira Yellow
Seasonality: Planted in winter, and needs 8-10 months to grow. Harvested in fall or early winter.
Crop origin: Cultivated in India and Indonesia over 4000 years ago, as a spice and a perfume.
Curcumin is the most active compound in Turmeric, and has many scientifically proven benefits for health, such as improvement of heart health, prevention against cancer and Alzheimer’s. It is also a potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. It also supports detoxification of the liver and helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
Known to improve depression sypmtoms.

Storage Information :

Temperature: refrigerated
Percent Humidity:
Wash? unwashed. Can wash or use a wet paper towel to clean before using.
How to Store: Make sure it is dry, wrap in a paper towel and place in a plastic bag.
Where to Store: in the crisper drawer of the fridge.
Best Used By: 2-3 weeks
Maximum Storage: up to a year if frozen.
Notes: Similar to ginger, turmeric can be frozen whole and grated when needed, making sure to return to the freezer after use. Can also slice or puree turmeric and freeze to be used later. If thawing puree cubes, make sure to refrigerate and use within a week.

Turmeric when fresh can be chopped or grated into dishes as desired. Keep in fridge for 2 weeks or freeze in a ziploc for longer storage.

When dried as a powder, shelf life is increased to 12 months+.

Best ways to prepare turmeric: Use as an aromatic in rice, soup, stews. Use raw in juice or smoothies.

Featured Recipes :

Turmeric Ginger Tea

Ingredients:
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Splash of milk or soy milk
Honey or maple syrup, to taste

Directions:
Boil water in small saucepan, then simmer turmeric, ginger for 10 minutes. Stir in milk and strain tea into a cup. Add sweetener to taste.

Sunshine Smoothie with Coconut, Citrus, Turmeric

Ingredients:
1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (or: substitute yogurt for a thickener)
1 cup chilled unsweetened coconut water
2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut milk
Fresh or frozen segments from 2 clementines (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 (1/2-inch) fresh turmeric, peeled and roughly chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon ground), more if desired
1 (1/2-inch) fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon honey or agave nectar (optional)
1 tablespoon maca powder (optional)

Directions:
If using oatmeal, blend first until finely ground. THen add remaining ingredients and process until smooth.

Oats will give a gritty texture; may omit and use yogurt instead as a thickener.

Turmeric Chai Latte

For all my coffee lovers- This is the best coffee drink I have ever had. I first had it at a cafe in Boston called Sofra, with my grandma sometime last fall. It is absolutely wonderful, i think a drink like this made right could possibly be one of the yummiest foods on the planet. Seriously recommend you try this recipe or your own version of it.

Ingredients:

Tea Concentrate Ingredients
2 1/4 cups water
6 tbsp coconut sugar
4 black tea bags
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground coriander
Pinch black pepper
Latte Ingredients – Makes 1 Single Latte
3/4 cup coconut milk or the milk of your choice– coconut and regular milk froth the best
3/4 tsp coconut sugar more or less to taste
1/4 cup tea concentrate
1/8 tsp turmeric

Instructions:

To make the tea concentrate, combine all ingredients except for tea bags and vanilla in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil.
Remove from heat and add the tea bags and vanilla. Let the mixture steep for at least 10 minutes.
Pour through a fine mesh strainer. Put the concentrate into a sealable container and refrigerate until ready to use. This will keep for up to 7 days. Shake well before using.
To make 1 latte, whisk together the coconut milk, coconut sugar and turmeric in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat just until the mixture bubbles around the edges of the pan. Remove from heat.
Combine the warm milk mixture with 1/4 cup of the tea concentrate in a glass. Stir to combine. Garnish with ground cinnamon if desired. You can adjust the sweetness level by adding more or less sugar to taste; I prefer this only mildly sweet.
Note: If you prefer a frothy latte, use a milk frother or transfer the milk mixture to a deep container and pulse with an immersion blender until frothy. Then combine with 1/4 cup of tea concentrate and serve.

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