Easy Turmeric Paste

First things first, let me apologize for not producing a #floweressencefriday post this Friday. I just started working with a new essence and I didn't want to write about it until I knew her actions better. I also just started my 2 year Clinical Herbalism program with David Winston, as well as an internship with a Parisian tea company! I am working out of New York City a few days a week and it is very exciting, as well as very different, and you can definitely expect a post or two about grounding to hit this blog in the future.

Anyway - it is officially Autumn. Like I mentioned in my Autumn Equinox elixir post, this is a time of reflection, on looking back at all we have grown and harvested in the past year, giving gratitude to all the forces that helped us get to where we are now, and for slowing down and taking care of ourselves. Working in the city, I have begun to realize how important it is to have day to day activities that keep me healthy and grounded. In addition to my morning herbal brews and tinctures, I keep a consistent meditation practice, make a point to stretch and move daily,  journal as often as possible, and do my best to incorporate a few key foods/medicines into my diet on a regular basis... and one of my favorite food/medicines right now is Turmeric Honey!

I have been eating this Turmeric Honey paste for the past 4-6 weeks and have been loving it. It's inspired by this recipe, but I just can't stomach the taste of Turmeric tea, so I eat the paste right out of the jar. The honey is sprinkled with a generous amount of black pepper, which helps to increase the bioavailability and absorption of nutrients from the other herbs, and it contains ginger, which can be used to cut the pungent taste of Turmeric.

/// Turmeric Honey Paste ///

This recipe makes between 1-2 months worth of Turmeric paste.

  • Equipment needed: glass jar, honey, a knife, powdered herbs, freshly crushed black pepper
  • Ingredients
    • 1/2 cup honey (preferably raw and local)
    • 3-4+ tbsp Turmeric powder
    • 2 tsp Ginger powder
    • 2 tsp Black pepper
  • Instructions
    • Add 1/4 cup of honey to your glass jar (save the mess and mix it in the jar you are going to store it in!)
    • Put in half of your herbs and stir vigorously until smooth and incorporated
    • Add the rest of your honey, stir vigorously
    • Add the rest of your herbs and stir until a thick, smooth paste is formed

Take 1 tsp of this paste 2-3x a day, preferably 15 minutes before a meal.

If the Turmeric taste is too strong for you, add more Ginger, but keep in mind that some of the healing benefit of Turmeric comes from its bitter taste, which helps the body secret the biles necessary for digestion (in herbal medicine, herbs that help the body secrete digestive bile are known as cholagogues), which is why this paste is the first thing I eat in the morning! This paste is also great for preparing the boy for cold and flu season, as Turmeric is rich in anti-oxidants, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal, and is profoundly anti-inflammatory (both internally and externally).

I love this recipe because it's so easy to make, and because regardless of whether or not you are "into herbalism," there is a 90% chance you have these ingredients in your kitchen. Sometimes it can be intimidating looking at herbal remedies online or in books, there are so many options and sometimes we can feel we don't know enough about an herb or an herbal process to get started with an project - but that is how we learn! Outside of curry, I had no experience with Turmeric before making this paste. After eating it day after day, savoring the taste and experiencing its effects (especially a change in my once-chronic neck pain and, uh, intestinal activities), I really want to encourage you to try it out for yourself and see how easy it can be to incorporate herbal medicine into your life.

I hope your Autumn has started off on a positive note, and that you remember to take it easy and take care of yourself, because you deserve it. Sit back, eat some Turmeric honey, and watch the leaves change.

In love and gratitude,

Blaire

PS. If you live in New Jersey, I will be vending at the 2014 Outdoor and Wellness Festival in Flemington, NJ on October 5th! I'll be vending my herbal products, as well as teaching a workshop entitled Kitchen Herbalism: The Medicine in Your Cabinet. It's a beginner workshop that covers the medicine you already have in your house. Hope to see you there!