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The Austin Herb Society is dedicated to educating members and the community about herbs, including propagation, landscaping, history and folklore, plus culinary, medicinal, and decorative uses of herbs.

AHS Monthly Meeting

How to grow, use

& preserve turmeric

Tuesday, Feb. 3

9:30 a.m. Check-in

10 a.m. Program

Zilker Botanical Garden

Free & open to the public—

no registration required.

“Growing Turmeric in Austin” will be the topic at the next meeting of the Austin Herb Society at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 3 in the Zilker Botanical Garden Auditorium, 2220 Barton Springs Road. Check-in begins at 9:30 a.m. The program is open free to the public.

Program speaker will be Steve Smith, a retired physician, amateur herbalist, and ginger and turmeric enthusiast with a long interest in plant medicine. Smith, who is also a member of Austin Organic Gardeners, will present a comprehensive overview of his techniques for growing turmeric in Austin.

A relative of ginger, turmeric is native to Asia, where it has been used for centuries to lend its golden hue and earthy, cumin-like flavor to food. The plant also has a long history of use in ayurvedic medicine in India and traditional medicine in China.

The active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin, which is reputed to have both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

“I have been consuming turmeric for many years and became a strong advocate for the medicinal uses of turmeric,” explains Steve, adding that he decided to try growing turmeric five years ago. “Since my efforts were quite successful, I decided to spread the word.

He will also suggest ways to incorporate turmeric into your diet as well as methods to preserve your harvest.

“I will also touch on some of the medicinal properties of turmeric as well as contraindications of its use,” he says.

For more information on the program, contact AHS at theaustinherbsociety@gmail.com.

About Austin Herb Society & Zilker Herb Garden

Since 1982, the Austin Herb Society has been educating members and the community about herbs, including propagation, landscaping, history, folklore, and culinary, medicinal, and decorative uses of herbs. While our members are united by an interest in herbs, they are also a diverse group of individuals: from gardeners and herbalists to cooks and business owners.

AHS members design and maintain the Zilker Herb Garden—a dazzling landscape of color and fragrance that has become a centerpiece of Zilker Botanical Garden. Here, visitors can touch, taste and smell their way through nearly 200 varieties of herbs, depending on the season. Bees and butterflies dot the beds of basil, lavender and calendula. There are classic culinary herbs like rosemary, mint and thyme alongside herbs revered for their health attributes, including aloe and echinacea.