Spice Up Your Fall
We’re taking spice to a whole new level this season! While this time of year might have you craving the classic fall flavors in your morning coffee (yes, pumpkin spice, we’re talking about you), we’re branching out and exploring all of the spices we have growing right here at the nursery! So make room in your garden, because you can grow all of these spices yourself and have your baking pantry stocked for the season!
Cinnamon
Cinnamon trees thrive in humid climates with consistent moisture. The humidity is essential for the plant to produce its healthy, aromatic bark. Plants should be watered deeply, but be sure not to overwater, as Cinnamon will suffer from root rot.
Harvesting Cinnamon involves removing the outer bark before peeling the inner bark in long strips. Once harvested, the sticks are laid out to dry, allowing them to curl up into the Cinnamon sticks you’re familiar with. After drying for several days, the sticks can be cut into smaller pieces or ground into Cinnamon powder to store and use as needed.
Black Pepper
This spice grows as a vine with long, hanging spikes that flower and produce peppercorns. Black Pepper Vines prefer warm temperatures with full sun during the day, but shade during the hottest part of the day. Planting your vine with some sort of stake or trellis will help the plant to climb like it does in its native habitat.
Peppercorns can be harvested when they are still green, or can be left to mature until they turn red. The flavor differs at different stages of ripeness. Once picked, the peppercorns must be blanched in boiling water before drying. Once dried, the corns will turn black and shriveled and can then be ground fresh or stored for later use.
Vanilla
The Vanilla plant is actually an orchid vine that climbs on trees hundreds of feet in the air in its natural habitat. These beautiful vines can grow here in Hawaii, but they require special care if you want them to produce Vanilla beans. Since Vanilla is an epiphyte, it derives nutrients from the air and rain rather than the soil, so your plant should be grown in an orchid mixture such as bark and given something sturdy to climb, like a shady tree.
The flowers bloom for only one day, and they require manual pollination since their native pollinator isn’t found in Hawaii. If successfully pollinated, Vanilla beans can be harvested, cured, and dried before processing for your culinary use!
Clove
Clove is an ideal plant to grow in our hot, wet climate. Clove trees prefer some shade, especially when they are younger, so consider planting under larger trees like bananas. The Clove is harvested from the unopened flower buds and then dried in the sun. It is crucial to harvest the Clove before it reaches maturity, when the flower is reddish brown. Patience is key in growing Clove; they can take up to twenty years to produce a yield.
Ginger
Ginger is a plant we are all well-acquainted with here in Hawaii, and culinary Ginger varieties grow well in our climate. Ginger requires full sun and good drainage. You may need to water more frequently if experiencing excessive heat.
The rhizomes are what’s harvested for culinary use. After growing Ginger for 8 to 10 months, the root can be harvested. The leaves will turn yellow or brown, signaling it’s time to harvest! Dig up as much as you’d like, leaving a few rhizomes to continue growing. Cut back the stem, rinse off soil, and air dry your rhizomes for a few days before using fresh, or grind and dehydrate for later use.
Turmeric
Similar to Ginger, Turmeric is harvested for its rhizome. Choose a shady spot to grow your turmeric, ideally a spot that only receives 3 hours of direct sunlight per day. Be sure to water regularly.
Turmeric should be harvested in the autumn, as it goes dormant in the winter. All of its leaves will die back, but don’t panic! The plant will come back in the spring. Harvest rhizomes when the foliage starts to die back, leaving some rhizomes in the ground for next year. Wash and use fresh, or freeze or dry it to grind up for later use.
Curry
Have you ever used fresh Curry leaves? The Curry Leaf Tree prefers full sun and relatively dry soil once it is established. The aromatic leaves are best when harvested in the morning when the leaves smell their strongest. Pick leaves off the plant as needed, but avoid removing all the leaves on one branch. Curry leaves can be dried in the sun, in the oven, or on the stovetop until wilted and crispy. Once dried, the leaves can be used immediately or stored in the fridge or freezer for later use.
Nutmeg
Nutmeg should be grown in a well-draining soil and watered deeply and regularly without overwatering. The Nutmeg will produce flowers, and if successfully pollinated, it will produce fruit 8 to 10 months later. The fruit is mature when it begins to change colors and the outer shell splits open. Harvest by cutting just above the stem of the fruit and gently removing the shell from the red center. The outer shell is Mace and can also be used for cooking! Let the seeds dry for a few days. This drying process helps enhance the flavor and aroma, creating the perfect spice!