If you’re not sure where to buy fresh turmeric, you’re not alone. Many people don’t realize it comes in root form. They only know of it as a powdered spice.
In the US, fresh turmeric root isn’t a popular food. It’s much harder to find than the dried form. If you don’t know where to find turmeric root in the store, this information can help.
So, where is turmeric root in grocery store? You will find turmeric root in the produce section of grocery stores like walmart, whole foods and publix. Turmeric root is a food item like ginger root that should be refrigerated for longer shelf life. What Does Turmeric Taste Like? Find out here.
If you can’t find it in the produce section, look in the aisle with the spices and baking items where the ground turmeric is on the shelf.
If you can’t find turmeric root in the spice aisle, look in the freezer section with the frozen vegetables. Some stores carry frozen turmeric root.
Where to buy turmeric root near me
Small stores aren’t likely to carry fresh turmeric root unless they’re specialty stores. Asian and ethnic markets are more likely to carry it than small independent groceries.
Bigger stores probably have some form of turmeric, even if it’s not the fresh root.
- Walmart – Walmart Supercenters that have grocery items sometimes have fresh turmeric root. When they do, they sell it in the same place as the produce, like fresh garlic and ginger in the produce aisles.
- Kroger – Some Krogers might carry turmeric root. If you can’t figure out where to buy fresh turmeric locally, it’ll be in a plastic clamshell package in the produce aisle.
- Albertson’s – This store sells fresh turmeric root next to the radishes and ginger in the produce section.
- Publix – The southern and southeastern grocery chain sometimes sells fresh turmeric in plastic clamshell packaging in the produce section.
- Whole Foods – This nationwide food chain sells organic turmeric root in the produce aisles.
Turmeric root isn’t a common ingredient in most stores. Many sell dried and ground turmeric as a spice, but only the biggest grocery stores or health-focused chains typically sell fresh turmeric.
How to buy turmeric root online
Since turmeric root is a fresh food, buying it online is tricky. Mailing fresh food through can be risky.
Turmeric is a root, so it won’t immediately spoil if it’s not refrigerated, but it won’t last as long as it would in cold temperatures. You can find it for sale online in a few places.
- Amazon – Some sellers will mail fresh turmeric root to you through Amazon.
- Walmart – Small businesses and sellers sometimes offer turmeric root through Walmart, but it might not always be available.
- Miami Fruit – This specialty store will ship fresh turmeric roots.
You might be able to find some online stores that will ship fresh turmeric root in a cold pack with other refrigerated or frozen items.
If you can’t figure out where to buy fresh turmeric in your grocery store or online, you can probably find another version of it that will work almost as well as the fresh ingredient.
What can i get instead of turmeric root?
If you can’t figure out where to buy fresh turmeric locally or online, you can usually leave it out of the recipe without the taste changing too dramatically. The turmeric flavor is typically not strong because it gets bitter if you use too much.
Turmeric is used as a subtle spice, primarily in East Asian foods. Indian dishes, for instance, often contain turmeric and other East Asian herbs.
Check your store’s produce and spice aisles before you use a turmeric substitute. You might be able to find a squeeze bottle filled with crushed or minced turmeric. Garlic comes in this form, usually in an oil base, so you can squeeze out the amount you need.
The refrigerated tubes give it a longer shelf-life. Sometimes you’ll be able to find a tube of turmeric paste next to the ginger.
If not, and you don’t want to leave it out, you can probably find one of these substitutes to use in your recipe.
Ground Turmeric
Ground turmeric comes in a powder form in small jars like other spices such as paprika and garlic powder. The powder is bright yellow-orange with an aromatic scent.
Most stores will carry this spice in the spice and baking aisle. You can also order it online through Amazon and all the stores that ship shelf-stable pantry items. Look for a spice bottle that says turmeric or curcumin.
Many stores now sell supplements that contain curcumin because the element in turmeric is supposed to be healthy. You can’t buy the supplements and use the powder in the pills the way you would ground turmeric.
Read the label carefully to ensure it’s the spice and not meant to be taken for health before you buy it.
To use ground turmeric instead of fresh in a recipe, use one-half teaspoon of ground turmeric for every two tablespoons of chopped turmeric root in the recipe.
Curry Powder
If you can’t find ground turmeric, curry powder makes a suitable substitute. If you have curry powder, use one-half teaspoon for two tablespoons of chopped fresh turmeric root.
Don’t use curry paste in place of curry powder. The flavor profile is different, and the paste will change the dish’s texture more than switching from freshly chopped root to a powdered spice will.
Also, don’t use cumin or chili powder instead of turmeric in most dishes. The flavors are different enough they won’t serve as a substitute but will change the entire taste of the dish.
Paprika
If you have paprika, preferably not smoked paprika, you can use it in the same amount as the curry powder as a turmeric substitute. Adding a half teaspoon of powdered ground mustard can also help mimic the color turmeric would add to the dish without changing the taste very much.
Smoked paprika will give the dish a stronger smoked flavor than turmeric, so if you only have smoked paprika, use half the amount, then taste it before adding more.
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