Pickled Curcuma With Honey

Pickled curcuma with ginger in honey is a great starter for fermented drinks. The rhizomes are mixed with honey and black pepper to create a foundation for sauces, marinades and sodas. Honey is naturally antibacterial because the sugar binds all water, but if you add water and saturate it, you can turn it into mead. The fruit juices of the rhizomes reduce the amount of needed water.

• 200grams ginger
• 125grams curcuma
• 250grams honey
• 20 peppercorns
• 3 tablespoons water

Tools:

• kitchen scale
• ginger grater
• spoon
• canning jar 0.8L

Although we want a spontaneous fermentation, we don't want any other microorganisms in our container. This is why you let it rest in boiling water for 15 minutes and then dry the container on a spread out kitchen towel.

Weigh 250grams of liquid honey. Add 3 tablespoons of water, or 30ml. I use mineral water without carbonates to not degrade the quality. Then stir it thoroughly to enable a fermentation process in the entire mixture.

Pepper contains piperine which enhances the bioavailability of curcumin in the curcuma. Take 20 peppercorns but pestle only half of them. This way the ingredients in the peppercorns will be released over a longer period.

Weigh 125grams of curcuma and 200grams of ginger. Use rigid rhizomes to avoid spoilage.

Always use disposable gloves, the curcuma colours anything yellow to orange. The rhizome also contains a sticky resin that will make it even worse. Scrub them off with a brush and then remove all black parts with a knife.

Either shred or mince the rhizomes into the glass jar with the watered honey. Add the peppercorns half way through and stir.

Fill in the rest and stir the mixture. Then clean the rim with a paper towel, put the lid on top and fix the tension clips.

The surface is not covered by the liquid, therefor you have to stir the pickle every day. Make sure there is a sufficient change between the stuff on top and below. This will prevent mould spores from getting oxygen and the growth. After some days you will see the first bubbles which indicate fermentation. This can take up to 3 weeks. Or just 3 days.

Once the fermentation has started, the bubbles will get stuck between the shredded rhizomes and lift them. Stir until the bottom then, to release the gas.

Take single cream and some butter, heat it in a saucepan with a tablespoon of the pickled curcuma and then serve it with your food.

Take 2 teaspoons from your ferment and add it to a fruit juice. Let it rest in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. It will be a sparkling and refreshing drink then.