Snow-Melting Turmeric Pickle

This recipe is raw, tangy, enzyme-rich, highly nutritious and cleansing. Most people are primarily familiar with turmeric in its dried, powdered form, but, increasingly, the fresh root is available in general markets- it looks very much like ginger, its close cousin, but the color and flavor are markedly different. Fresh turmeric has an ethereal quality, unlike any other flavor- peppery, bitter, and slightly reminiscent of orange- it's quite transporting.

For thousands of years cultures in the East have used turmeric as a potent and delicious medicine. It is a main spice in dishes throughout Asia such as curries, chutneys, and tagines. Turmeric tea is a staple beverage of the Okinawans- who also, perhaps un-coincidentally have the highest life-span in the world.

It is only relatively recently that turmeric has made its way into the Western diet. And there it has generally stayed relatively on the periphery- added in modest quantities to curry and to mustard. But increasingly, people are turning to turmeric as a preventative and potential cure for things like arthritis, inflammation, skin problems and even cancer and dementia.

Turmeric helps the body detoxify by stimulating bile production from the gallbladder and helping to cleanse and protect the liver. Because of its assistance to the body’s detoxifying methods, turmeric is often used to help treat acne, arthritis, heavy metal toxicity, high cholesterol etc.

Chinese medicine and Ayurveda both use turmeric to treat liver disorders- everything from hangovers to jaundice. In Ayurvedic medicine turmeric is referred to as "the great detoxifier". It is used internally to combat dangerous bacteria from food poisoning as well as to drain excess “kapha”- or damp, cold, sluggish states of the body- such as excess mucus. This time of year kapha excess is rampant as the warm spring sun begins to drain the accumulation of cold dampness in the body (think of snow melting after winter).

Turmeric works primarily by reducing inflammation in the body, which helps neutralize the effects of the stressful, and inflaming Western lifestyle and diet. The active agent in turmeric is curcumin- a powerful antioxidant now proven to have anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory effects. Curcumin has shown to strengthen cell membranes and boost resistance to infection.

Traditionally in India mothers slather a paste of powdered turmeric on every cut or wound that appears in front of them and modern studies have shown that turmeric is an excellent disinfectant.

Interestingly, studies have shown that turmeric is more available to the body when it is combined with black pepper. Black pepper contains piperine- a compound that helps increase absoption and bioavailability of curcumin.

Learning about the health benefits of turmeric, I was looking for a way to use fresh turmeric and came across several variations of this traditional pickle. This is a potent relish that adds spice, pungency and tang. It would be delicious on soup or curry, but also on eggs, rice or meat.

There are many ways this recipe could be altered- more jalapeno, cilantro perhaps, or toasted cumin or fenugreek would be nice.

Another option for this recipe is to lacto-ferment it. By adding a few teaspoons of whey to the finished recipe and leaving the relish covered and in a warm place for a few days to allow the lacto-bacilli to grow, the recipe adds beneficial bacteria as well as having the additional benefit of keeping much longer.

RECIPE:

(I wrote out the weight for the ginger and turmeric ratios so that you get an exact proportion, however, feel free, as always, to adjust to your taste)

1/4 lb fresh turmeric root

.1 lb fresh ginger (or about 3-4 inches)

1 jalapeno pepper, deseeded and finely minced

1-2 limes (depending on how juicy they are)- zest and juice- only the green part, avoid the bitter white pith

1 tablespoon raw honey

1 tablespoon coriander seed

black pepper

sea salt

2 tsp. whey (optional)

Lightly heat coriander seeds in a heavy skillet until fragrant- set aside. Grate turmeric- I don't bother to peel it, but be careful, as it will stain everything from your clothes to your skin bright yellow (the color of monk's robes and a symbol of prosperity)

Finely mince or grate ginger. Mix everything together in a bowl.

Let sit for several hours before serving. It will keep for at least a week or so in the fridge.