# For those who cook with turmeric: **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 29, 2019, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-cook-with-turmeric/833216 "2019-04-29T11:36:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2019, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-cook-with-turmeric/833216/1 "2019-04-29T11:36:27Z")
If you cook with turmeric, how in hell do you prevent everything it touches from turning yellow? I made a huge pot of soup, and now all my plastic containers are stained yellow. Help! ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2019, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-cook-with-turmeric/833216/2 "2019-04-29T12:04:31Z")
That’s basically life with turmeric. Nothing can be done about it. All my mother’s containers are stained yellow. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2019, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-cook-with-turmeric/833216/3 "2019-04-29T12:10:11Z")
I avoid using turmeric unless absolutely necessary because of the staining/mess. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2019, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-cook-with-turmeric/833216/4 "2019-04-29T12:10:55Z")
Yeah, that sounds about right to me. It will fade over time if you don’t cook anything else with turmeric in it for awhile. (A few runs through my dishwasher and eventually that yellow stain does fade.) You can always try bleach or vinegar if you need to get them as close to their original state as possible. I have the same issue with paprika-heavy Hungarian dishes: they stain all my Tupperware red/orange for several wash cycles. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2019, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-cook-with-turmeric/833216/5 "2019-04-29T12:13:46Z")
Another, perhaps obvious suggestion. Don’t use plastic containers. Store the tumeric or tumeric-heavy foods in glass or metal containers. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2019, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-cook-with-turmeric/833216/6 "2019-04-29T12:14:42Z")
Small price to pay for all the yummy goodness turmeric adds, plus the health benefits! I’m doubting there’s much you can do. I switched to stainless steel bowls, for all things turmeric, and the problem went away entirely! ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2019, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-cook-with-turmeric/833216/7 "2019-04-29T12:19:23Z")
For a similar reason, I exclude fenugreek from any recipe I try as it stinks the house out. As for turmeric, just keep it away from plastic and wood and you’ll be fine! ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2019, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-cook-with-turmeric/833216/8 "2019-04-29T12:42:15Z")
And what does it do to your teeth? ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2019, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-cook-with-turmeric/833216/9 "2019-04-29T12:53:06Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > And what does it do to your teeth? Turmeric is actually used for teeth _whitening_, surprisingly enough. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2019, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-cook-with-turmeric/833216/10 "2019-04-29T13:15:12Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > And what does it do to your teeth? It doesn’t stain your teeth. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2019, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-cook-with-turmeric/833216/11 "2019-04-29T13:37:53Z")
So, is everyone spelling it correctly, or is autocorrect changing tumeric to turmeric? > [@SanVito](#): > > For a similar reason, I exclude fenugreek from any recipe I try as it stinks the house out. Seriously? I like the taste of fenugreek, and only recall a mild, nice anise type aroma. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2019, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-cook-with-turmeric/833216/13 "2019-04-29T16:21:03Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > So, is everyone spelling it correctly, or is autocorrect changing tumeric to turmeric? As far as I’ve always known it, it’s turmeric. That’s a British lens though, I know how USians like to chop out random letters 😃 > [@kayaker](#): > > Seriously? I like the taste of fenugreek, and only recall a mild, nice anise type aroma. God yes, I cook Indian at least once a week so love me some spices, but fenugreek seems to seep into the walls of the kitchen. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2019, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-cook-with-turmeric/833216/14 "2019-04-29T17:03:01Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > So, is everyone spelling it correctly, or is autocorrect changing tumeric to turmeric? It should. Turmeric is the correct spelling… and pronunciation. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2019, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-cook-with-turmeric/833216/15 "2019-04-29T17:13:08Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > It should. Turmeric is the correct spelling… and pronunciation. Yes, I know it is the correct spelling. However, every time I’ve written it on a shopping list or in a recipe I’ve spelt it “tumeric”. Every time I’ve read where someone else has written it, say in a recipe, they’ve written “tumeric”. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2019, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-cook-with-turmeric/833216/16 "2019-04-29T17:13:24Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > It should. Turmeric is the correct spelling… and pronunciation. Yes, it’s generally spelled turmeric. As for fenugreek–I’ve not noticed any smell from cooking with it. If anything, it has a bit of a nutty maple-type flavor and scent to it (which makes sense, as it’s used in artificial maple syrup.) I’m assuming we’re talking about the seeds. If you’re talking about methi leaves, I guess those are more fragrant, but nothing particularly noxious, like, say, asafetida (hing). ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2019, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-cook-with-turmeric/833216/17 "2019-04-29T18:54:11Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Yes, I know it is the correct spelling. However, every time I’ve written it on a shopping list or in a recipe I’ve spelt it “tumeric”. Uh … what? You know what the correct spelling is but you insist on spelling it incorrectly? I don’t think anyone here can help you with that. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2019, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-cook-with-turmeric/833216/18 "2019-04-29T20:03:39Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > If you cook with turmeric, how in hell do you prevent everything it touches from turning yellow? I made a huge pot of soup, and now all my plastic containers are stained yellow. Help! Use glass. There is nothing you can do to keep turmeric, or any of a number of other foodstuffs, from staining plastic. Glass, on the other hand, is non-reactive (to pretty much anything you’ll find in your kitchen at least). ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2019, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-cook-with-turmeric/833216/19 "2019-04-29T20:06:29Z")
I have the staining problem with tomato-based dishes.