Turmeric beginning to end.

Strolling in the garden, I notice a flower on one of my ginger plants. I wasn’t sure what type of ginger it was, however looking closely, I realized that it was the flower of a turmeric plant, Curcuma Longa, pictured below. In the Summer of 2020, I remember placing Turmeric Rhizome that I had purchased at the store throughout different garden beds. This particular location was facing North, close to the house, and it is an area that the soil is quite wet and a bit sandy. I did not take care of it or paid any attention. I was more concerned about the neighboring Awapuhi Ginger that I had planted there a while back.

I waited till the plants leaves started to turn brown to dig and see what was underneath. I started digging this quite large root with my garden fork and boy it was quite large.

The last picture is only half of the amount I dugout. I planted back the most predominant root and still managed to transplant some Rhizomes with growth in other areas of my garden. I didn’t know what to do with all the Turmeric, so I added up mailing some to my inlaws and mom. The rest I washed in a bowl with water and some vinegar, leaving it to soak for 10-15 minutes. After that, I used a small vegetable brush to scrub any dirt from the nooks and crannies and gave it a good rinse with cold water. I placed them on a towel to dry for a couple of days. I’m saving a few for fresh use, but the rest I am starting to dry in a dehydrator.

You don’t need to peel them if you cleaned them properly. I did peel some just because of some ugly parts. Slice the Turmeric thin and placed them in the dehydrator; it took 6 hrs at 140 f. After that, you will have these beautiful shriveled up slices of Turmeric ready to grind.