Wednesday, August 21, 2013

turmeric harvest

I'm very pleased to have just harvested turmeric. It may be a spice plant of tropical south and southeast Asia, but I have a nice crop here at 35 degrees south.

A member of the ginger family but very distinctive foliage. It has grown well in the chook pen, near the overflow corner of the buried bath they have as a large drinking water supply.

Here is a photo taken last February, through the wire of the hens' run, broad leaves, white flowers. The plant died back completely with the arrival of winter.


Here is a photo of the rhizomes as were when digging them up. Looking rather like Jerusalem artichokes.


and a photo of the rhizomes washed. Now to consider best ways to eat and and store them. Currently drying on outdoor sink bench. Their medicinal value may help with  recovery from pleurisy (June-July) and current Golden Staph infection.

And I will have to plant in more locations! Running out of locations!!


1 comment:

  1. Showing your website to American friends with joy :-) love to see all the photos and things.

    ReplyDelete

Looking forward to your thoughts, write as much as you wish, ask questions. Comments do not appear until moderated. I will try to do that quickly. Thanks for looking and thinking!!