Amaranth

[dalthauser]

I threw down some Amaranth in the garden to see what it would do.  The chickens love the greens, and I've steamed some - they are okay to eat.  They are blooming now.  Super easy to grow and drought tolerant.  The bugs like the young leaves, but once they get a certain size the bugs leave them alone.



Closeup of blooms

Comments

[walksbeauty.livejournal.com]

Very pretty!! We have a 'weed' type amaranth (stickery tho') we eat and Jack just ordered another open-pollinated, heirloom variety to cultivate. A very good grain & green. Jack had the Seeds of Texas Seed Exchange for years and he has a great fondness for the old heirloom varieties that are survival foods!

[eats-veggies.livejournal.com]

These were just from a bag of grain I got out of the bulk bin at whole foods :-)

[sahlah.livejournal.com]

They make graham crackers out of amaranth - looking at the plant, are their seedy bits in the red flower? I wonder of they grind those?

[eats-veggies.livejournal.com]

I think the flowers die and the seed is left - you just have to beat the dried bits off. Not sure exactly, but I imagine you have to grind it into flour for crackers.

[kabuldur.livejournal.com]

I have grown a plant that looks very like this, and I put the ripe seed heads in paper bags. When dry lots of seeds fall to the bottom of the bag. To get more out, I crushed and rolled the seed heads in my hands and let everything fall into a bowl, then I blew the husks off. I didn't try to eat them, though!

[eats-veggies.livejournal.com]

You save the seed for replanting?

[kabuldur.livejournal.com]

I did.

[joebanks.livejournal.com]

I have something that looks like that! I wonder if it's Aramanth?

[eats-veggies.livejournal.com]

Try eating some..... :-)

[kabuldur.livejournal.com]

I love them and you have made me want to grow them!