I have been wanting to grow ginger for a very long time now. Anyone in my family knows I love ginger. I love it for it’s spicy, warming kick it adds to all sorts of foods. We use it anywhere from tea, kimchi, stir-fry and of course, ginger ale. A long time ago a woman told me it was very easy to grow. That was back when we lived in California. Now that we live in Idaho I thought it was high time I tried this little experiment for myself.
Ginger is great to get your blood flowing. Its warming effect is great in the wintertime to take off the chill. It is a great aid in all sorts of digestion problems. It is used for inflammation, menstrual pains, headaches, cancer treatment and a host of other conditions.
Turmeric has a lot in common with ginger. It aids in digestion and is also great for inflammation. My husband and mom both tried it when they were having some joint pain and with one dose it help ease the pain considerably. Turmeric also promotes radiant skin, healthy joints, overall skeletal system, and healthy blood and liver functions.
I thought it was high time I had some of this growing in our garden, well at least in the house. That is, it’s too chilly up here in Idaho to keep it outside year-round so I planted it in pots. I acquired some not so great looking rhizomes of both turmeric and ginger (a little past their prime). But I thought what the heck I’ll give it a try. What’s to loose right?
It has been well over a month now and I’m happy to say I have some plants emerging from the soil. The ginger was the first to come up about a week ago and now the turmeric is finally showing its green little head. Needless to say I am thrilled at the idea of harvesting my own. Since it is warm I have it outdoors but when the weather turns a little chilly I will definitely want to bring it indoors as I will try to overwinter it in our sunny basement window. I am really excited about using these two powerhouses at the Traditional Catholic Homestead. Hopefully, they will keep us healthy all winter long.
How do you usually consume tumeric? In cooking or do you have some other ways of ingesting you could share? Also, what part of the plants do you harvest and use?
Hi Kathleen!
Thanks for the interest in this post. There is a tea recipe on one of my favorite websites that I haven’t tried yet but it looks delicious and warming for the winter months. You can check out the Nourished Kitchen recipe here http://nourishedkitchen.com/golden-tea-turmeric-ginger-tea-coconut-milk/
Also, the turmeric can be eaten raw or cooked. It’s used a lot in Indian cuisine. As for the ginger, you could use it for tea, Asian cooking or some yummy, homemade ginger ale! Just harvest the roots (Rhizomes) when the plants are full.