Leftover Fresh Turmeric? Here's The Best Way To Get The Most Of It

If you find yourself with leftover fresh turmeric after making coconut turmeric rice or fresh pressed juice, don't toss it or let it go bad in the fridge. Instead, there's a perfect way to make use of those last bits of fresh turmeric root: make turmeric tea. While you might be used to seeing ground turmeric to make golden milk lattes or to add flavor to white rice without any oil or salt, the fresh root can also easily be brewed with hot water to make tea. Not only does it make for a warming drink, the fresh turmeric infuses its complex, earthy flavor and multitude of potential health benefits, including antioxidant and liver health promotion properties.

To turn leftover turmeric root into tea, you have a couple options. You can either grate it finely, mince, or slice it into thin pieces and steep in a saucepan in simmering water for about 10 minutes. Since the body's uptake of turmeric's beneficial health compound, curcumin, greatly increases when consumed in conjunction with black pepper, it's also a good idea to sprinkle some pepper into your tea along with any other complementary spices like ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. What's best is, you don't even have to peel fresh, clean turmeric before infusing it into tea (though this could impart some extra bitterness). If you brew your tea with larger slices or chunks of turmeric root, you'll want to remove or strain it from the brewed tea before serving. 

When making turmeric tea from leftover fresh turmeric, the culinary creativity doesn't have to stop with the simple act of simmering and infusing the root with water. Instead, you can enhance the flavor of your hot beverage even further by adding complementary flavors and ingredients. For instance, you can also brew your turmeric tea with some fresh ginger root if you have it on hand, too. The piquant spice from the ginger will brighten and enhance turmeric's warmth and subtle notes of citrus. For a boost of sweetness, add in a spoonful of honey or agave nectar. For some tart acidity to uplift and brighten the drink, squeeze in some lemon slices or wedges.

Try the tea hot, garnished with fresh mint, for comfort in a cup. Or brew it and serve it cold over ice for something a bit more refreshing. Add a healthy splash of coconut milk to your iced turmeric tea to add richness and a smooth mouthfeel that perfectly balances turmeric's pungency. While the uses for fresh turmeric are abundant and its flavor is typically more pronounced than the dried spice, if you don't have any leftover root, no worries. You can also make a delicious turmeric tea or homemade golden milk by adding ground turmeric into hot water.