February 6, 2015 | 2 minute read

For cold weather, a hot drink like our Ginger and Turmeric Hot Cider warms you up fast. Its combination of ginger and turmeric add cancer-preventive compounds to the cider’s phytochemicals for a naturally sweet drink that is at once spicy and soothing.

Turmeric is the spice that gives curry powder its yellow color. By itself, dried ground turmeric doesn’t taste very strong and has a slightly peppery, earthy quality. But its health-protective qualities that are similar to ginger’s. Both are roots that contain compounds found in research studies to have antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties that protect cells against damage linked to cancer.

The color of turmeric comes from the phytochemical curcumin. The spice was used as a yellowing dye since 600 BCE, according to archeological finds in Assyria. It was less expensive than saffron, and has traditionally been used in India to color the rice served at weddings, a cosmetic, a skin tonic and as a folk remedy for stomach and liver ailments.

If you can find fresh turmeric root at an Asian or health food market, try it in this recipe; if not, just use ¼ teaspoon of dried turmeric for each serving of cider. A dash of ground turmeric can also be added to brown rice while it cooks to make the color more appealing, as well as stirred into lentil, green pea or tomato soup to enhance flavor. Hummus dip, salad dressing and stir-fries are other tasty places for turmeric.

Ginger gives a spicy zing to winter dishes. It not only adds a kick to cider, but minced fresh ginger is a key ingredient for Asian-style stir-fries and garlic sauces and tastes great in baked fruit recipes like apple crisp or fruit compote. Most grocery stores carry fresh ginger root – a little bit gives you a lot of flavor, much more than dried ground ginger.

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