Yarden goodness shifts in September as summer shifts to autumn, days shorten, and weather is cooler overnight. I feel a renewed call to connect with plant and soil after the hot days of July and August that had me heading into shade to avoid the heat. Noe, the scent of moisture as rains roll through softens the soil and surges final season growth.
I have planted perennial herbs to afford time to root before winter.
I also turn my attention to the sunflower.
The sunflower bed sports sown and self-seeded variety, varying in petal color, scent, inflorescence space, and height. I love them all.
I have let many of the flower heads remain on stalk to shift to seed and feed the local birds. I also, have harvested seed heads to dry and prepare for food for myself and my household.
I have not dried and prepared harvested sunflowers before, so I begin with some research. None of me garden or recipe books discuss sunflowers, so I turn to the wide net of the interwebs.
I visited the American Meadows blog.
https://www.americanmeadows.com/blog/2016/10/12/harvest-sunflower-seeds-planting-roasting-feeding-birds
Great place to start, and yet I found myself thinking, "what about raw sunflower seeds?" I will roast some, but I would like raw seed too. Also, before I take the suggestions to use, I want to corroborate them with at least two other sources.
Back to research mode for me.
Some sites stated the seeds could be eaten once dried without any treatment, others promote baking seeds before eating, and others recommend soaking in a salt water solution, drying, then either eating or baking.
The University of
Illinois Extension website, for example, states that after harvests, drying, separating from seed head, and cleaning, the seeds may be soaked in a salt water solution over night. The resulting seeds are 'raw' and may be eaten, or you may bake the seeds and use.
In the research quest, I reached the health line webpage about sunflowers. While the webpages does not discuss harvesting and preparing sunflowers for consumption, it does provide a wealth of information about sunflower seeds, so I include it here. The information includes mineral and vitamin content of sunflower seeds, eating raw versus roasted sunflower seeds, and various other excellent and relevant information.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/sunflower-seeds#downsides
After reading many sources, and reflecting on my prior knowledge and experience, I have concluded that once I remove the sunflower seeds from the seed heads and sift out debris, I will save some for planting next year, soak and dry some to remain raw and roast some, and sprout some to have fresh tender nutrient rich sunflower seed sprouts. I am exited about having healthy seeds to supplement my diet and support my wellness. Thanks again, plants, you are awesome!
You can visit the provided links for the full discussion, and steps to harvest and prep sunflowers.
https://web.extension.illinois.edu/hortihints/0108c.html
https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/roasted_in_shell_sunflower_seeds/
https://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/outdoors/gardening/how-to-harvest-and-roast-sunflower-seeds
