Fresh turmeric looks a bit like ginger's smaller relative, and in a lot of shops it sits right beside it. The pieces are usually slimmer and knobblier, with thin tan skin. Break one open and the inside is a deep orange that can catch you off guard the first time.
People ask us about the root fairly often. Mostly the question is how to tell a good piece from a tired one. If you've only ever cooked with the powder, it can feel like guesswork. It isn't, really. Most of it comes down to what you can see, feel, and smell with the piece in your hand.
Where it tends to turn up
Indian and Southeast Asian grocers are often the most reliable places to look. Some larger supermarkets carry it too, usually in the produce section near the ginger, and sometimes packed in a small plastic tub rather than sold loose. Farmers markets depend a lot on where you live.
If a shop doesn't have it, ask. Some places stock it irregularly, and whoever is behind the counter may know when the next delivery is due.
Look at it first
A good piece looks plump. The skin should be smooth and fairly tight, light brown, sometimes with a faint orange showing through. Pieces that look wrinkled or shrunken at the ends have usually been sitting a while.
Check the cut ends and the joints where the smaller fingers branch off. A little dryness at a cut end is normal. Soft dark patches, or anything fuzzy, are a reason to pick a different piece.
Then pick it up
It should feel firm and have some weight for its size. Press gently with a thumb. You're hoping for no give at all. If a finger bends instead of snapping, it has probably lost moisture.
Some sellers don't mind you snapping off a small end to look inside. Where they do, the color at an existing cut tells you much the same thing. Bright orange is what you're after. Dull or brownish flesh is a reason to keep looking.
Then smell it. Fresh turmeric has an earthy, slightly peppery smell with something bright and almost gingery in it, which the powder doesn't really give you.
How much to bring home
Less than you'd expect. In cooking, a small piece covers a lot of ground, and a couple of fingers can stretch across several meals. It's easy to buy a whole bag and use a third of it.
Your hands, your counter, your cutting board
Turmeric stains easily. Fingernails, wooden boards, grout, a pale countertop, the dish towel you grab without thinking. It helps to keep one cutting board just for it, or to cut it on a plate that goes straight into the sink. Thin kitchen gloves save your nails.
The skin is thin, so you don't always need to peel it, especially if you're grating. If you'd rather peel it, the edge of a teaspoon works the same way it does on ginger.
At home, keep it in the fridge, wrapped loosely in a paper towel inside a bag or container so it doesn't dry out or sit wet. It also freezes well. You can grate it straight from frozen, which is handy for small amounts.
What to do with it
Grate some into rice while it cooks. Stir a little into scrambled eggs, or drop a few slices into a soup or a curry base. It's good blended into a salad dressing, and quick pickles take it well.
Where a recipe calls for ground turmeric, fresh can usually stand in. The flavor can be brighter, especially in dishes that aren't cooked for long, and the swap isn't exact, so add it gradually and taste as you go.
What we make
Turmeric Time is a ready-to-drink wellness shot made with organic turmeric extract, organic ginger juice and organic ginger extract, black pepper extract, citrus, and honey. It has a kick from ginger and black pepper extract and a citrus flavor. There are no preservatives and no artificial flavors, colors, or sweeteners. It's non-GMO and bottled in the USA, it doesn't need refrigeration, and you can drink it chilled or at room temperature.
It comes in packs of 6, 12, 24, and 48. If you're curious, a small pack is an easy way to try it.
And if you're at the market this week, look for the plump ones.