Preserving Your Harvest

[WthrLady]

I might try that in our attached garage with a few of them for a test. My garage fridge ( where they are now) freezes things once in awhile.

You can store them in a standard cooler, cracked open with newspaper, in a garage that dips to freezing every once in a while.

 

[Happy hen lover]

You can store them in a standard cooler, cracked open with newspaper, in a garage that dips to freezing every once in a while.

Great idea!
I have a cooler that stays in my car in summer for groceries. I gave a ton of newspapers as we have a wood burner stove , I can use it and see

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

I took some frozen apples and frozen oranges out of the freezer and put them in the crockpot to make Homemade Apple Cider today.
A nice treat, it's 3'F outside right now. It's not the coldest day this week but yesterday I made Oatmeal Raisin cookies and loaves of bread.
At noon, I'm going to start another crockpot to cook some frozen green beans with bacon and dehydrated onions for supper.

 

[Wolfie2]

May be the first time in this thread so bear with me please.
I have put this question in the "What did you do today" thread so it may be redundant to some, but I'm tryin to get as much input as possible.
Turmeric: I finally grew some after 3 dismal seasons. This time I just left the measly little rhizomes from last year in the ground. Got a decent crop this year, about 2 lbs. with enough left for seed next year.
My question: have any of you good folk grown turmeric? Those who have, how do you preserve it? I have read the articles and watched the U-Tube vids but would like your opinion.
Drying and powdering is one option but that's a lot of scraping and cutting before putting in the Dehydrator. And my dehydrator is big enough to handle 10 times what I have, so it seems somewhat a waste of energy.
We have grown ginger for years now and Mrs. Lobo keeps a little for now and freezes the rest, just throws it in the freezer in a ziplock. She's happy with the outcome but by the end of their life in the freezer they are kinda mushy when thawed. Turmeric and ginger look and grow alike so this is what I'll do if no better solution. Thanks in advance for any suggestions

 

[vall]

Would liquid form work for you? Ginger I puree in a blender with a bit of apple juice and strain out the solids, then freeze in ice cube trays (most of my ginger goes into kombucha). Think that would work for turmeric with just water if you don't want it sweet.

 

[BReeder!]

May be the first time in this thread so bear with me please.
I have put this question in the "What did you do today" thread so it may be redundant to some, but I'm tryin to get as much input as possible.
Turmeric: I finally grew some after 3 dismal seasons. This time I just left the measly little rhizomes from last year in the ground. Got a decent crop this year, about 2 lbs. with enough left for seed next year.
My question: have any of you good folk grown turmeric? Those who have, how do you preserve it? I have read the articles and watched the U-Tube vids but would like your opinion.
Drying and powdering is one option but that's a lot of scraping and cutting before putting in the Dehydrator. And my dehydrator is big enough to handle 10 times what I have, so it seems somewhat a waste of energy.
We have grown ginger for years now and Mrs. Lobo keeps a little for now and freezes the rest, just throws it in the freezer in a ziplock. She's happy with the outcome but by the end of their life in the freezer they are kinda mushy when thawed. Turmeric and ginger look and grow alike so this is what I'll do if no better solution. Thanks in advance for any suggestions

First, I think it's important we understand how you consume the turmeric. This might help in decided the best preservation method.
Here's my initial thoughts though.

Never grew turmeric. I have Jerusalem artichokes in the fridge in ziploc in tge crisper. Holds for months this way I have found. May work for turmeric as well.
Another option would be to pickle it. The taste would be very different, but it may still be useful as a health food and added to things like rice bowls and stir fries.
Powder or dehydrated slices would be my go to idea.
Freezing makes sense. You could freeze as a tea instead of the tubers.

 

[Wolfie2]

"First, I think it's important we understand how you consume the turmeric. This might help in decided the best preservation method.
Here's my initial thoughts though."

Don't really know how I'll end up using it! First time growing and it has never been used in our house as far as I know. Mrs. Lobo says she does not like the taste and will probably never use it. So far the only thing I have done is clean it up, dice it up and throw it into whatever I'm eating ( about a tbsp goes good in a garden salad). Just trying to use the medicinal aspects of it. And I'm not much of a chef so I dont see me cooking curry or anything like that in the near future but would like to use what I have. For now I have some in a ziplock in the fridge for my use as stated above, and the rest I just cleaned up and is sitting on the counter drying off

 

[BReeder!]

"First, I think it's important we understand how you consume the turmeric. This might help in decided the best preservation method.
Here's my initial thoughts though."

Don't really know how I'll end up using it! First time growing and it has never been used in our house as far as I know. Mrs. Lobo says she does not like the taste and will probably never use it. So far the only thing I have done is clean it up, dice it up and throw it into whatever I'm eating ( about a tbsp goes good in a garden salad). Just trying to use the medicinal aspects of it. And I'm not much of a chef so I dont see me cooking curry or anything like that in the near future but would like to use what I have. For now I have some in a ziplock in the fridge for my use as stated above, and the rest I just cleaned up and is sitting on the counter drying off

If you want to eat it raw like you are, it's hard to preserve. Freezing may be worth a try then. Pickling may make for an interesting salad ingredient though too.

If you are just trying to get the health benefits, preparing a concentrated tea and freezing it would be my route. You could even leave the solids in it and just puree them. A raw purree would also be useful in cooking and could be frozen in ice cubes.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Morning I have Tumeric powdered I bought think on Amazon. As a spice .. problem I do not use allot.

 

[raingarden]

You have some time to think about it. The rhizomes can be cleaned and set out on the counter dry with skin on. Like ginger, they will be good for months.