Turmeric Root, Fermented

1/15/2016

Turmeric (also correctly known as tumeric) root is a very powerful anti-inflammatory, and has many other health benefits. The very best results are achieved when drinking a bit of the brine, and chewing a bit of the root, along with a spoonful of organic oil and a dash of pepper on a daily basis. Read the full story below the directions.

Ingredients: Fresh Turmeric Root
Jar: 2 Liter Probiotic Jar
Brine: 2% Brine
Temperature: 68-72ºF
Ferment: 5-7 Days

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Preparation:
1. Scrub the root with a vegetable brush to clean. Cut off anything funky (mushy, slimy, or noticeably soft) Healthy fresh root should be firm, but it doesn't matter if it's a bit rubbery. Trim away the previously cut open areas, as this is where mold will develop first.
2. Split the root open along the length of the root to expose the inner flesh to the Brine. See the photo to the left. It's not important that it's exactly right; it is also fine to slice or grate it.
3. Fill the Jar you have selected (any size is fine) just over half full of loosely packed root.

4. Add 2% brine to just below the neck of the Jar.
5. Place Brine Bowl, fill & insert the Airlock, lock the Jar & cover.
6. Leave at 68-72ºF for 5-7 days, until the bubbling starts to slow.
7. Move to the refrigerator, and enjoy!

I have been delighted by how much less expensive it is to use Turmeric root in this way, with enhanced bio-availability and effectiveness. I had previously tried high-quality capsules or cur-cumin, and lots of them, for injury-related inflammation and pain with no noticeable results.

The last time I pulled something in my back and was down with an ice pack, I remembered this hiding away in the back of my refrigerator and decided to give it a try. I could tell the difference within hours (not days) and can really see that fermenting the turmeric makes everything it is known for even that much more potent and bio-available. It's good to know that we have an alternative to the gut-wrecking ibuprofen, Plus, the benefits are endless. Anti-inflammation is not the only benefit: Turmeric root is also highly anti-oxidant, has compounds that promote brain function and health, helps prevent cancer, helps treat arthritis, depression, and age-related chronic issues, just for the highlights.

Turmeric root is also bright orange and will stain teeth. The best way to prevent/correct this is to polish them with a little bit of dietary activated charcoal on a wet toothbrush, which takes it right off without harming the teeth.

After the brine is consumed, the root could be juiced in a masticating juicer, dehydrated, and loaded into capsules or added to a spoonful of applesauce. This is my approach after having a few batches rotating so I can use the capsules and brine at the same time.

Written by Karen Ross

28 Comments

Scott

2/5/2016 09:26:16 pm

Thanks for the great article that is prompting me to try this for the first time. I was wondering if you could expand on the last paragraph and explain the capsules a little further. So I will be drying the masticated root (which should be fairly dry already) and grinding it up to put in capsules? And what is the benefit of this over just chewing some of it? Thank you.

Karen link

2/6/2016 12:39:50 pm

The advantages to dehydrating and putting into capsules, is portability and eliminating the staining problem on the teeth. That's really about it. ;) Thanks for your feedback!

Sandra M

4/7/2016 06:02:53 am

Thanks for an informative article and I too would like to try this. I was given some frozen turmeric root. Can I use it to make this recipe? Thank you for your reply.

Karen

4/7/2016 06:22:09 am

Hello Sandra,

I do not know if Turmeric has enzymes that continue to be active when frozen in the way that some vegetables do requiring blanching before freezing so that they last, or how much is lost in the freezing process, and then to consider that quality would also be affected if they were frozen for a long time. We can tell you that frozen berries work well in our Berry Syrup recipe. Can you try it and come back and let us know how it worked out?

Judy Williams

6/8/2016 05:49:01 pm

Hi there, you can actually use dried turmeric pwdr along with coconut oil and maybe a drop of spearmint oil to whiten your teeth. Sounds counter intuitive and the only issue is that you get a yellow toothbrush!!

Karen L Ross link

5/6/2018 06:38:21 am

I wonder what the difference is between powdered and fresh turmeric, because freshly turmeric definitely yellows the teeth!

Darren link

4/20/2025 12:54:49 am

I think it is the oleoresins in turmeric, I find the older 'stumps' (the planting material you start with that grows all the turmeric 'fingers' is the most potent for oleoresins. Not sure if they remove it when drying turmeric.

Ann

7/6/2016 05:54:41 pm

Got a couple pounds of turmeric to make this recipe, but just noticed the 'airlock' bit.

Can I make it without that???

7/6/2016 07:19:20 pm

This recipe is written for a perfect seal to keep out oxygen. If air can get to the ferment, you will have an inferior outcome, or possibly early spoilage. Is it fresh enough to wait till you get a proper jar?

Gio

3/17/2018 12:39:39 pm

Hi Karen, in terms a ratio to drink, possibly a teaspoon of oil, three crushed peppercorns and then how much turmeric brine?

Judith

5/6/2018 06:25:33 am

Just to let you know, we use turmeric to whiten our teeth. Use the powder with a tooth brush and brush with a bit of water. Not too much.. No drooling because that will stain.

It really works. Why? Like cures like? As in homeopathy. I do not have the answer otherwise. Go give it a try.

5/6/2018 06:36:30 am

I have read that brushing with the dry powder whitens teeth, but caution when chewing fresh fermented turmeric, as it turned my molars bright fluorescent yellow!

Theresa

5/20/2019 01:57:48 pm

Can we just eat the fermented turmeric as well as the brine? I'd rather not have to dehydrate & encapsulate it, if possible. And should we eat it along with some black pepper?

Thank you!

Karen Ross

5/20/2019 02:04:38 pm

Hello Theresa!

You can absolutely eat both the turmeric as well as the brine - but I will warn you about fluorescent yellow teeth! 😂

There is some updated research that says that there are better compounds to ingest to make turmeric more absorbable, but I am not familiar with it. Pepper and oil are somewhat outdated: a little research would be in order!

Will

2/9/2021 06:46:55 pm

You don’t need anything to help absorption of turmeric if you fermented it , no pepper needed and I haven’t read anything in your post but the probiotics remain if you don’t dehydrate

Janet Culp link

2/11/2020 08:17:41 am

What exactly do you mean by "brine"? As in distilled water? Or what? Also, what about adding a probiotic starter for vegetables to the water, or as you call it "brine"?
Thanks, JC

2/11/2020 09:51:49 am

Brine is water and salt. You can read more about that at http://www.probioticjar.com/expanded-guide.html

Starters not needed at all for fresh organic vegetables. More also on that on the link above. :)

Gabriel

4/13/2020 01:21:13 am

Hi Karen, for the brine, i wonder if i can use sugar, instead of salt -- as i'm planning to make sodas only (such as ginger beers, or ginger ale) ?
And thank you so much for the wonderful recopies!

4/13/2020 09:22:49 am

Sugar cannot be substituted for salt. Please read the Guide for an overview of what is happening while fermenting: http://www.probioticjar.com/expanded-guide.html

2/9/2021 06:49:54 pm

Starter is not necessary but works very well to give a jump start and also helps to curb the chances of mold

2/20/2020 11:49:02 am

Thanks Karen for your reply. I just received my .5 liter probiotic jar which I bought so that I could ferment turmeric root for medicinal purposes. I found your link to a recipe for that. Thanks so much for your expertise and sharing of beneficial information.
Janet C.

2/25/2020 09:43:43 am

Question: what would you consider to be a baseline daily serving amount of the brine?

2/25/2020 09:54:37 am

Hi Scott, that is really subjective. I would start with a teaspoon and increase until you see desirable changes. :)

Celeste

10/7/2020 06:40:38 am

Hi

I love the recipe, just one question (this might sound dumb) what is 2%brine ?

Ive looked up on brine but all I find is sugar, water and salt per recipe of diff veg and herbs but nothing for turmeric.

So how exactly do I do that then, make brine?

10/7/2020 08:02:12 am

Hi Celeste, not dumb! Just sounds like you need the tutorial at the top of this page "How to Ferment". Click the Expanded Guide and read that through - about a 5 minute read :)

Alternatively, the nonprofit educational arm of our product is FermentingSeminar.org. Check it out!

Bradley link

11/10/2020 01:37:48 am

I really happy found this website eventually. Really informative and inoperative, Thanks for the post and effort! Please keep sharing more such blog.

Eating by Eliza link

12/16/2020 04:38:50 pm

Thank you forr sharing this

David Pinder

9/12/2022 10:20:58 pm

I tried your recipe a year ago, turned out great 👍. I added pepper corns to brine, hopefully to make termeric more absorbable. What do you think?

Turmeric Root, Fermented

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