Harness healthy properties of turmeric in lemonade

For the AJC

Terri Jagger Blincoe of Ladybug Farms in Rabun County grows a wide variety of vegetables and fruit for her farmers market and community-supported agriculture, or CSA, customers. Of the farm’s 14 acres, she devotes three-quarters of an acre to growing more than 40 different crops.

“I also have seven acres in organic hay production. I became the first certified organic hay supplier in Georgia in 2015. I thought that was an important thing to do. We have to remember when we eat meat, we are eating both the medicines the animals are treated with and whatever chemicals may be in their food.”

Blincoe will be sharing her experience growing organic hay this Saturday at Georgia Organics’ annual conference in Augusta.

So she’s growing vegetables and fruits for her human customers and hay for her livestock customers. But turmeric? That’s something she grows for herself.

It started three years ago. “I went to Sevananda and bought turmeric rhizomes and planted those out. It was OK, but not a great success. Then I bought some turmeric from a friend who was running Clemson’s organic student farm and those did well.”

But because turmeric is a long-season crop, needing as much as six months in the ground to form mature rhizomes, Blincoe has finished her CSA year and the Clayton Farmers Market has closed for the season before she’s ready to harvest. So the turmeric she grows is all for her own consumption. And to share with friends.

Turmeric for infusing, turmeric for juicing, turmeric for marinades, turmeric for stir fries. The uses are endless.

“I make ginger-turmeric lemonade inspired by friends at Qualla Berry Farm in Clay County, North Carolina. And I grate turmeric and add to the fermented vegetables I make every fall. I ferment cabbage, daikon and carrots and add turmeric and ginger. Then I try to eat a tablespoon of fermented vegetables every morning. I eat a real ‘farm girl’ breakfast of eggs, sweet potatoes, sausage, coffee and a tablespoon of fermented vegetables. I’m a big believer of getting as much of our medicines from food as possible.”

“Medicines” refers to the fact that turmeric contains curcumin which may reduce swelling and ease inflammation.

Turmeric is a member of the same plant family as ginger and grows similar long stems with tropical-looking leaves and flower spike. “Before I started the farm I worked in garden design and installation and would plant ginger in garden beds for the foliage and the lovely, fragrant flowers. I didn’t know about turmeric then but it could easily have been used. Really, anyone with a garden can grow turmeric.”

Blincoe presprouts her turmeric and ginger by planting the rhizomes in flats of soil, then putting the flat in a warm spot such as on top of a refrigerator. “I do that in March and by the middle of May when there’s no more chance of frost, I can plant them in the field. I’ll harvest the turmeric before the first heavy frost, usually in October or November.”

One rhizome, planted in decent soil and receiving regular watering, can yield a half pound of rhizomes at harvest. “That makes it a high dollar crop and one that’s worthwhile for farmers to grow. The rhizomes also freeze beautifully. I harvest mine, scrub the rhizomes, cut them into small chunks and then freeze them. When it comes time to make my ginger-turmeric lemonade, I just grab a small handful out of the freezer.”

Many local farmers are bringing turmeric to market and depending on the farmer, you may find white, yellow or red varieties for sale.