Turmeric: Turmeric is another rhizome with a warm and earthy flavor. While it doesn’t mimic the spiciness of ginger, it can add a pleasant depth of flavor and a vibrant yellow color to your dishes. Ginger and turmeric have powerful anti-inflammatory properties, which could help decrease pain and protect against disease. If you are looking to harvest young ‘baby ginger’, you can start to harvest a few rhizomes as early as July which happens to be Summer! This should sustain you until you can harvest the rest.

This drying up of leaves is a sign of the maturation of the roots and you will be able to harvest Ginger rhizomes shortly after this. Fresh ginger can also be used to make ginger shots, brewed into a cup of soothing tea, or added to soups, smoothies, and curries. You can then use the knife to chop the ginger into portion-sized pieces and freeze them in individual plastic bags. Ground: This is the powdered form of dried ginger, finely milled to achieve a consistency akin to flour. It’s commonly used in baked goods, offering a seamless blend of ginger’s spiciness into the mix.Ginger is definitely a perennial crop to consider for growing in a heated glasshouse or polytunnel or for bringing indoors and then planting out in a cool greenhouse or polytunnel,” shares Master Horticulturist Colin Skelly. Pineapple ginger has inconspicuous orange-yellow flowers and deep red bracts that grow on long cone-shaped inflorescences that resemble pineapples. This means that the flowers will have wilted and the leaves turned yellow, while the stems themselves will also be sagging. During a sun-soaked vacation in Hawaii, amidst the palm trees and pristine beaches, I stumbled upon the vibrant Hawaiian Yellow Ginger. This variety, a subtype of Zingiber officinale, immediately caught my eye with its bright yellow hue. Unlike the more pungent gingers I was accustomed to, this one had a milder, almost sweet flavor.

Digging deeper into its origins, I learned that this coloration is due to the rich anthocyanin content, a type of antioxidant that not only gives it its color but also boasts potential health benefits. Similarly, animal and test-tube studies have shown that curcumin possesses anti-viral properties and can help reduce the severity of influenza A virus ( 22, 23, 24). But when is the right time to Harvest? Young Ginger can be harvested as early as four months after planting though if you want to harvest mature ginger with the best flavor wait for 8 to 10 months. Steps to Harvest GingerWhen I first encountered galangal, it was in a bustling market in Southeast Asia. At a glance, one might mistake it for ginger, but a closer look and a whiff of its distinct aroma set it apart. Originating from regions like Thailand and Laos, galangal, or Kaempferia galanga as it’s scientifically known, has a flavor profile that’s uniquely its own. It’s more pungent than the common ginger and has a taste that’s hard to describe but is instantly recognizable in dishes. I’ve come to appreciate its prominence in curries, where it lends a depth of flavor that’s irreplaceable. While some might use it as a substitute for ginger, I believe galangal stands strong in its own right, deserving of its place in many traditional recipes. 3. Cardamom Ginger

Rhizomes and stalks of this plant have a strong spicy scent. But what it’s famous for is the bright red or pink bracts that look stunning.Organic Ginger: Organic varieties of any ginger type, especially common ginger ( Zingiber officinale), can be pricier than their non-organic counterparts because of the costlier organic farming practices. The pink hue of this ginger, a variant of Zingiber officinale, and a very close cousin of Red Ginger ( Alpinia purpurata) is reminiscent of tropical sunsets and salmon dishes. In the kitchen, it adds a gentle, aromatic touch to teas and other beverages. Beyond its culinary uses, I’ve come to appreciate its rich antioxidant content, which locals often speak of in terms of its health benefits.