One of the best parts of the transition from summer to fall are the beautiful fields of sunflowers. And sunflowers don’t just look nice. You can grow them for their seeds, too!
If you’re growing sunflowers, rather than leaving them to die at the end of the season, try eating or preserving their seeds to be planted again, instead! Blain’s Farm & Fleet is here to show you four simple steps to harvesting sunflower seeds.
Before you begin harvesting sunflower seeds, you’ll want to make sure you have the right kind of sunflowers in your garden. Not all sunflower seeds are ideal for eating.
The best sunflower seeds for eating are the striped ones. To get these, you’ll need a large breed of pollinating sunflowers. Some common varieties of these include Mongolian Giant, Giganteus, Mammoth Gray Stripe, Mammoth Russian, Feed the Birds, Skyscraper, Titan, Royal Hybrid, Snack Seed, and Super Snack Mix.
Generally speaking, sunflowers are pretty easy to grow. But one of the most important things to keep in mind when planting them is spacing. They can get quite large, so you’ll want to make sure you leave about two to three feet between each plant.
Try to plant your seeds in the late spring or early summer.
You’ll want to make sure you wait for the perfect time to harvest your sunflower seeds. If you harvest too soon, the seeds will be small and difficult to remove. But if you wait too long, the seeds will begin falling out on their own, or birds and other critters will get to them before you do.
Luckily, it’s pretty easy to tell when your sunflowers are ready for harvesting. The sunflower heads should droop down and be a yellow-brown color. If there is any green on them still, they’re not ready.
And the petals should be dry and brown instead of their beautiful yellow color. The seeds should also feel loose when you touch them.
Then, all you have to do is cut the stem.
If you’re scared of animals or bugs getting at the seeds before you, you can cover the flower heads with paper bags, mesh, netting, or cheesecloth once they begin to wilt.
You also have the option to cut the sunflower before it’s ready to be harvested, and dry it out on your own. If you choose to do this, make sure you leave about a foot of the stem attached.
Then, use a piece of twine to hang the flowers upside down in a warm, dry area. They should be ready once the seeds begin to fall out.
Next, it’s time to remove the seeds from the sunflower head. Start by getting a bucket or large bowl ready to collect the seeds.
There are a few different ways you can remove them from the flower. You can simply use your fingers to dislodge them, scrap them out with a knife, or rub two sunflower heads together.
Once you have your sunflower seeds removed, what you want to do with them is up to you! Some people prefer to eat the seeds raw. If that’s the case, all you have to do is remove the shells, and you’re done!
Others enjoy roasted sunflower seeds. To do this, spread them out on a pan, add salt if you’d like, and roast at 300° F for about 15 minutes. They’re done when the shells crack open easily.
If you want to use your seeds to plant new sunflowers the following year, start by placing them in a jar or paper bag. Then, store them somewhere cool, dark, and dry. And that’s all there is to it!
For more how-tos like this one, visit our Gardening Blog.
