How to grow your own turmeric at home

Turmeric has long been considered a powerful spice. Some claim it fights and prevents disease, other says it helps ward off dementia and helps with aches and pains. It’s a great anti-inflammatory.

Did you know this wonder ingredient from the Ginger Family is easy to grow yourself, even if you don’t have a garden?

Organics expert Linda Brennan from Ecobotanica not only shares how to grow it, she offers her very own recipe for a delicious turmeric latte.

Growing turmeric

Turmeric grows well in a warm climate. You can grow it in a large pot “the size of a hug” or in the ground. You can grow it from any piece of turmeric, the size of your thumb. Select the dark orange ‘Madras’ turmeric for the best health effects. Find a warm spot in full sun, fertilise the soil well with manure-based fertilisers and plant it at double the depth of the piece you have on hand.  You will know it is time to harvest when the leaves start to die back.

Dig it up, replenish the soil and replant a piece of your turmeric root in the spring.

Scrub the roots clean once you have dug it up. They will store well in a crisper or zip-loc bag for three to six months. Don’t forget to save the last piece to replant.

The roots are edible right up to where the stalk starts to turn green. As well as the roots you can also make use of the turmeric leaves. Use them to wrap fish, chicken or even to make a Thai fried rice wrap. Cook it on a barbecue for a lovely flavour. Chooks also love the leaves. And of course, don’t forget to use it in your herbal tea or try this great recipe for latte. 

Turmeric Latte

Ingredients

• Milk: dairy or non-dairy
• Turmeric: fresh, about the length of your thumb OR powdered (1 heaped teaspoon per person)
• Ginger: optional
• Spices: Two Cardamom pods & 1  piece of cinnamon stick or ground cinnamon. Can also use nutmetg, allspice and star anise.
• Sweetener: teaspoon of honey (optional)
• Freshly ground black pepper (increases health benefit of turmeric).

Method

1. Put cinnamon, ginger if using and cardamom pods (release seeds from pod) into saucepan.
2. Grate turmeric (fine grater) and put into saucepan and add pepper.
3. Pour in 1 cup of milk
4. Add honey and then warm mixture on pot.
5. Heat gently until the colour increases to bright yellow.
6. Drink while it is nice and warm but you can also drink it cool through the day as well.

Do you have turmeric as part of your daily health regime?