Ginger and Turmeric

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) and turmeric (Cucurma longa) are tropical plants that prefer warm, lightly shaded environments. The plant’s rhizome, which is a modified stem that grows underground, is typically used as a culinary spice and for its medicinal purposes. We will harvest and weigh the rhizomes to determine which conditions produce the best product.

We obtained tissue culture starter plants from AgriStarts in Florida. Because these plants are very sensitive when they are this young, they were grown in the greenhouse through the fall and winter and then transplanted outside in the spring.

Ginger starter plants.

Turmeric starter plants.

Ginger has a spicy, peppery flavor and is typically a white-yellow color. It contains an antioxidant compound called gingerol that has anti-inflammatory properties. Turmeric has a more earthy flavor and is typically a bright yellow-orange color due to a compound called curcumin. Both ginger and turmeric can aid in digestion and relieve nausea.

In addition to common ginger and orange turmeric, we are also growing several other varieties including black turmeric, blue turmeric, yellow turmeric, green turmeric, mild white turmeric (mango ginger), spicy white turmeric (Cucurma zedoaria), greater galangal, lesser galangal, shampoo ginger, and spiral ginger. Galangal is similar to ginger but has a more citrusy flavor. The flowers of shampoo ginger produce a soap-like substance and spiral ginger, which grows leaves in a spiral pattern, has edible flowers. We obtain these additional varieties from A Natural Farm in Florida.

Spiral ginger grows leaves in a spiral pattern and produces edible flowers.

Galangal is similar to ginger but has a more citrusy flavor.