What is Turmeric Tincture?

Turmeric Tincture is a liquid alcohol extract of the turmeric rhizome, Curcuma longa, put up in a 1 fl oz dropper bottle. It is made at a 1:5 ratio in roughly 47.5% alcohol. The format is worth noting for turmeric in particular: the plant's most-studied compound, curcumin, is poorly soluble in water, and alcohol extracts the curcuminoids and the aromatic turmerones more readily than water does.

About the plant

Turmeric is a tropical perennial in the ginger family, cultivated across South and Southeast Asia for thousands of years as both the golden central spice of curry and a documented herb of Ayurvedic tradition. Its brilliant color comes from curcumin, the principal curcuminoid. Traditional Indian cooking has long worked around curcumin's poor water solubility by combining turmeric with fat, such as ghee or coconut milk, and with black pepper, whose piperine is well documented to increase curcumin absorption.

Related products

• Turmeric Powder — the finely ground rhizome.
• Whole Turmeric Root — dried whole for grinding fresh.

Turmeric Tincture: format

Sold as a 1 fl oz liquid extract in an amber dropper bottle, at a 1:5 ratio in roughly 47.5% alcohol. The extract is an intense golden color and will stain, so keep it clear of light-colored surfaces and fabric. We make no health or therapeutic claims.

Storage

Store the tincture tightly closed, away from heat and direct light. The alcohol base gives a liquid extract a long shelf life.

Turmeric Tincture at a glance

Botanical name

Curcuma longa

Family

Zingiberaceae (ginger family)

Native region

South Asia

Studied compounds

Curcumin and related curcuminoids, turmerones

Format

1 fl oz alcohol extract, 1:5 in roughly 47.5% alcohol