Turmeric is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant (Curcuma longa) of the ginger family. It is native to Southeast Asia, and requires temperatures between 20-30 °C (68-86 °F) and a considerable amount of water to thrive. Plants are gathered annually for their rhizomes and propagated from some of those rhizomes in the following season.

When not used fresh, the rhizomes are boiled for 30–45 minutes and then dried in hot ovens, after which they are ground into an orange-yellow powder used as a coloring and flavoring agent in many Asian cuisines, especially for curries, as well as for dyeing. Turmeric powder has a warm, bitter, pepper-like flavor and earthy, mustard-like aroma.

Turmeric has been used in Asia for thousands of years and is a major part of Ayurveda, Siddha medicine, Unani, and traditional Chinese medicine, although there is no conclusive clinical evidence for use of turmeric or its main active ingredient, curcumin, as a medicine.

To get started, soak your turmeric rhizomes in a ~1% hydrogen peroxide solution in a zipper bag, then pour out the hydrogen peroxide solution and zip up the bag with some air inside and let it sit in a sunny location for 2 weeks. In this video the time frame was late August with daytime high temperatures ranging from the low-70s to mid-90s in Fahrenheit, or 22 to 34 Celsius.