Here ’s a confession for you : even though I love them , I used to be too lazy to eat helianthus seed . Unshelled ones , anyway .
All that make for cracking them overt just for atinyslice of heaven inside ? Not for me .
Or so I thought …
After enjoying the big , glorious yellowed blooms of my very own sunflowers all summer long , I harvested my own homegrown ejaculate for the first fourth dimension .
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Now I happen eating unshelled helianthus seeds is an excellent way to keep my creative thinker occupied when I ’m on a long road slip .
And instead of attain into a bag of store - buy seeds that are perched on the cabinet , I ’m delighted again and again by the plastic baggie filled with seed from flowers that I grew and harvested myself !
In this clause , you ’ll pick up how to harvest and enjoy your own homegrown helianthus kernels .
If you ’re just getting get , control out our fullguide to growing helianthus in your garden .
quick toharvest your own seedsand learn some tasty ways you could practice them at home ?
Here ’s what I ’ll cover :
What You’ll Learn
When to Harvest
Sunflowers lighten your garden with their cheery faces for several hebdomad in summertime , about 80 to 140 days after you sow the seed , depending on the cultivar .
And then they flow their heads , and their flower petal bend brown . They begin to shrink and set out to look dried out and beat .
But before they go , they have one last giving to share with you : a flower head full of ripe come .
Sunflowers , Helianthus annuus , like other members of theAsteraceae phratry , have complex reproductive social organization . The marrow disk is made up of century of bantam inflorescences , environ by large ray - alike flower petal around the outside .
Each of these tiny floweret in the center disk can self - pollinate and produce one kernel , contained in its own out hull . This seminal fluid casing can be black or striped , depending on the cultivar .
The helianthus you look up to in your garden is in fact not one , but hundreds of petite blossom constellate together that look like one big beautiful bloom !
So how do you know when to reap ?
helianthus kernels are ripe when the back of the flower capitulum – the calyx – turns from green to xanthous - Robert Brown , and the out petals shrivel up and drop curtain .
As the blooms depart to fade , discipline your blossom heads closely .
The diminutive petal in the center phonograph record will dry out out , and a light scraping will cause them to drop , expose the tightly bundle seeds .
Youcanchoose to slew the flower heads off before they completely dry out out , if you prefer . Let ’s take a aspect at the options available to you .
Drying the Heads Yourself
Have you ever figure the pile that birds get out under a feeder ? Do cryptic plant life kill up – perhaps even sunflowers – come springtime ?
That ’s what could happen in your garden if you let the seeded player amply mature on the stalk . Squirrels and hiss will eat themhappily and drop a crowd on the undercoat , result in volunteer sunflowers the next time of year .
Maybe this is exactly what you need . If so , go for it ! But perhaps you require to harvest all of the kernels for yourself , and control where future efflorescence are institute .
It ’s easy to snip them and then hang the heads to dry . Here ’s how to do it :
Watch the back of the peak head , the calyx , closely . When it turns from fleeceable to yellow , that ’s when you want to cut about six to eight inches of stem with a needlelike tongue or apair of pruning shear .
Go ahead and murder any leaves that stay on on the stalk , toget free of any peststhat might be concealing themselves in the foliage .
link two or three of stem together with twine , and attend them with the head word facing down in a shady or partly sunny area that ’s ironic , with good ventilation – indoors or outside . A barn or shed works well for this .
When the backs of the heads twist brownish , you ’re quick to harvest source .
you’re able to locate a paper udder over the drying flower heads to catch up with any that crepuscle off . It ’s important not to use plastic , as this can stimulate moisture buildup that may lead to mold .
Allow Heads to Dry on the Stem
On the other hand , if you do n’t have enough space to hang a bunch of helianthus heads and you need to allow them dry in the garden , you could do that .
Keep an eye on them until the back of the read/write head turns from dark-green to yellowish or browned .
you’re able to attach a paper udder around the flower head to prevent birds and squirrels from munching on your seeds .
When the calyx has turned browned , check to see if the seeds are plump and suppurate . If any have fall out on their own , this indicates they ’re ripe and quick for harvest .
This could happen at any time of the yr from July to October , depending on your rise zone , your pick out cultivar , and your sowing day of the month .
At harvest time , hold on the stem about six to eight inches below the heyday head , and trend through the stem with a piercing tongue or a pair of pruners .
snub off several in of bow along with the heyday head makes it easier to handle for the next step : removing the seminal fluid from the head .
How to Harvest
With your handwriting or a knife , lightly scrape off the dry out out remainder of diminutive flower petal from the inwardness disc . These can resemble green - icteric buds or downlike debris covering the seeds .
Now , for the best part : separating the source from the flower head .
you’re able to do this two slipway – just verify you have a bucket or other suitable container ready to catch them :
1 . Using your thumbs , rub the seminal fluid off the blossom nous and into the container below . To make this job easier , you could break the head into smaller piece .
2 . Take two ripe heads ( or two pieces ) and lightly rub them together over your bucket or other container .
gentle peasy !
Read on to get out how to enjoy your fresh harvest .
Enjoy Your Harvest
Now that you ’ve get a bucketful of toothsome , nutritious seminal fluid , how can you insure that you get the most enjoyment out of them ?
Some gardeners like to eat them raw , powerful off the dry bloom . Crack the plate with your tooth and savor the earthy taste of raw helianthus seeds , straight from the garden .
You might also desire to save some to institute next year , or make suet cakes toadd to your bird feederto keep your feathered supporter well-chosen in the winter months .
Save a few raw seed for planting , in an envelope or jar , and store it in a cool , dry place until planting meter .
Most the great unwashed seem to chance that roasted seeds are more flavorous – and soft to crack open .
They make a delicious topping for salad , a alimentary snack on the go , and – my favorite – sunflower butter .
you’re able to also employ them in this delicious pesto recipefrom our sister site , Foodal .
How to Roast Sunflower Seeds
Here ’s how to roast them in their shells :
For unseasoned seeds , all you have to do is preheat the oven to 400 ° atomic number 9 , diffuse them in a single layer on an ungreased roasting pan , and poke fun for five minutes .
Take them out and check them at this point in time to see if they ’re juiceless – the hulls should break open easily . If not , pop them back in for two more moment and insure them again . Keep adding two minute to the roasting sentence and crack them often , until they ’re done .
If they deform brown , that imply the inside is probably char . Keep an heart on your homegrown seminal fluid and do n’t let them get too roast !
For a delicious flood of piquant goodness when you pop one in your mouth , add 2 - 4 tablespoons of salt and 1 cup of seed to 1 quart of water and impart it to a boil .
lour the heat to a simmer and let them fake in the brine for about 15 minute of arc . Drain , spread them on a baking canvas , and put them in the oven at 400 ° F for 10 - 15 second .
If you ’d rather roast them without the case , first you ’ll ask to go through the process of beat out each and every one .
It seems scare away , I know , but I anticipate you do n’t have to break each one undefendable with your teeth .
Here ’s how I do it :
You ’re quick to roast . Spread the kernels in a single bed on an ungreased biscuit piece of paper .
ridicule them in a 350 ° F oven for 8 - 10 minutes , stirring and turning them over halfway through the roasting time .
Or , if you prefer , blackguard them in a skillet over medium passion for 5 - 7 minutes , or until they begin to turn brown and smell absolutely awing . Be certain to toss them frequently , to stave off sear .
you’re able to tot salt to savour , for a crunchy bite .
Quick and Easy Sunflower Butter
What ’s another excellent thing to seek when you have a big spate of homegrown seeds ? Homemade helianthus butter .
Both my Father of the Church - in - law of nature and sister - in - law are deathly allergic to groundnut , and they introduced me to sunflower butter many years ago .
I be intimate to eat this tasty peanut alternative on pancakes with sirup , or distribute on a toasted piece of loot , top with this round-eyed fig jamfrom our sister site , Foodal .
Here ’s how to make it :
How to Store
peeled , unshelled seminal fluid will last in the pantry for two to three month , or in the electric refrigerator or deep freezer for up to one yr .
Roasted and blast , they ’ll also last for up to a yr in the electric refrigerator or freezer , but they are only ledge unchanging for three to four month in the pantry .
Roasted and shell-less , they will last for four to five months in the pantry , and for up a year in the fridge or freezer .
Do n’t assay to imbed your roasted seeds , but feel free to save some raw single in the shell for planting in the garden later .
Put the fresh , shell-less seeds in a brown paper bag , jounce , or envelope , and salt away it in a cool , dark home .
Remember to commemorate the bundle with the date and cultivar name . And keep in judgement that hybrid varieties will not give rise on-key replicas of the parent plant life .
Plant within seven twelvemonth , and you ’ll get pleasurably bright sunflowers to stare at and harvest all over again .
Double the Delight
It ’s lovely of sunflowers to give us their best kickshaw just as their brilliant petals fade , is n’t it ? And it ’s so easy to glean the heads – this is such a playfulness and enthralling labor to try with the child in your life .
How unproblematic it is to have your own fresh crop of homegrown bits of loco heaven to bask .
So plant them now , and get quick for a in two ways rewarding journey with yourH. annuus .
And for moreinformation about growing eatable flowersin your garden , check out the following usher next :
© require the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more contingent . Originally published on May 19th , 2020 . Last update June 26th , 2023 . Uncredited pic : Shutterstock .
About
Laura Ojeda Melchor
