Amaranth

This year we tried planting some new seeds in our gardens. Amaranth. Specifcally Golden Amaranth and Molten Fire Amaranth, both from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.

Sadly none of the Molten Fire grew, but happily one of the Golden seeds sprouted and grew. The seeds are very tiny. Smaller than poppy seeds and about a quarter teaspoon worth of seeds was planted. From the one seed that took, the resulting seed head gave us about 5-6 tablespoons of seeds. We’ll definitely be trying again next year.

The seeds are not edible when raw, however cooked they are fine to eat. Given their small size it isn’t normally eaten on its own instead you find it usually baked into bread or popped and mixed with honey. The grain itself can also be pressed to extract amaranth oil.

We didn’t get enough yield to eat any, but hopefully next year will give us a number of plants and much more seed, some to save and some to cook with. A single seed head can yield up to a pound of seed.

Since the plants are quite attractive in appearance we also tried growing them in our front yard. With their foilage and seed heads they make a nice decorative plant that also gives us an edible yield. More and more we are looking for plants that not only look nice but also serve other roles. Perhaps food for us, perhaps critter (bees, humming birds, etc.) attractors.

~ by Gary & Therese on December 6, 2014.