Can You Juice Turmeric?

Turmeric, that spice that you always see in Indian food recipes is one of the healthiest spices in the world. And it’s a spice that you can actually buy fresh in the supermarket, just like ginger. In fact, turmeric is similar to ginger in many regards. And, similar to ginger, you can juice turmeric. And I’m going to explain just how to do this.

Why Would You Want To Juice Turmeric?

Before I explain how you can juice turmeric, I first want to cover why you would want to juice turmeric. After all, it’s not something obvious that you immediately think of when making green drinks. Turmeric isn’t like lemons or apples or kale. It’s turmeric!

But, turmeric is super healthy and has a ton of healing properties. It is used for it’s anti-inflammatory properties, anti-cancer benefits, and as an all around powerful anti-oxidant.

The problem with powdered turmeric is that it’s not fresh. But more importantly, there are serious concerns about the safety of powdered turmeric.

I won’t cover it all, but the major issue with powdered turmeric is that in India, there are many producers who add chemicals and dyes to the turmeric so that the spice will look brighter and more vibrant. Many of these unscrupulous spice producers add cancer causing chemicals such as lead. So, it’s important to steer clear of cheap turmeric producers.  When possible, make sure you’re buying organic turmeric powder if you absolutely need to buy a powdered turmeric.  Here is an in-depth article that covers this.

But if you are able to get fresh turmeric and juice it, you can avoid all of those problems. Which is the number one reason I suggest you juice turmeric. If you buy it fresh from the supermarket, then you know that you won’t have to worry about any dyes or lead additives.

And juicing turmeric will provide you with a lot of health benefits including anti-inflammatory and other health benefits. Here’s a major study  (it’s a bit dense, but if you want to read peer reviewed journal, go crazy!)

 

Why Is Fresh Turmeric Juice Better Than Powdered Turmeric?

Anytime you eat fresh food or drink fresh juice you get more nutrients than if you were to eat dried foods. And that’s the case with turmeric. It is better to just but turmeric straight from the supermarket and then clean it and juice it.

1. You won’t have to worry about the lead problem.
2. You won’t have to worry about stale turmeric.
3. It tastes better. Powdered turmeric doesn’t taste as fresh.

How To Clean Fresh Turmeric To Make Juice

You will want to scrub the outside of the turmeric root before you juice it. You can peel it, but you technically don’t have to. However, I always suggest that you do clean turmeric and peel it like you would ginger. And you don’t even have to use a vegetable peeler you can use a spoon.

But, even if you are not planning on peeling the turmeric, make sure that you clean it well.

And Now, How To Juice Turmeric!

Ok, now for the question you’ve all been waiting for.

I don’t recommend that you juice turmeric by itself without anything else. You always want to couple it with something such as apples or lemons.

You can juice turmeric with ginger and lemon to make a powerful ginger shot. It’s great flavored with lemon. I would take a chunk of turmeric and ginger and juice this with a half a lemon for a super immune booster.

If you’re looking to make a green drink, then I’d add a bit of turmeric to your regular leafy green mix of kale and spinach and apple or lemon.