Learning how to harvest sunflower seeds is a practical and enjoyable skill to master, whether you plan to snack on your homegrown bounty or plant new seeds for next year.
If you have learned how to grow sunflowers for the purpose of harvesting the seeds, then there are a few key rules you must follow.
However, as they are among the most attractive summer flowers – and vital flowers that attract bees – it’s important to enjoy them in your garden too.
‘Nothing says summer like the bright sunny face of a sunflower, which makes them one of the most popular genera of flowers to grow in any garden,’ says Gail Pabst from the National Garden Bureau.
‘You can harvest sunflower seeds to eat them as well as save them to plant in your garden next year. You can also use them to feed birds and other wildlife through the winter,’ says Amy Andrychowicz, gardening author, and founder of Get Busy Gardening.
‘It’s easy, frugal, and you can do it again year after year, so you’ll never have to buy the seeds again.’
Make sure you know when to plant sunflower seeds in your area to give you the best chance of success.
At the end of the season, it’s easy to harvest sunflower seeds to dry for re-planting, baking up for a tasty snack, and re-purposing into suet cakes to feed the birds in the winter months. Sunflowers are ready to harvest when their foliage turns yellow, the petals die down and the seeds look plump.
How to dry sunflower seeds
If you want to save your sunflower seeds for later use, then you’ll need to dry them.
‘When collecting seed the most important thing to remember is the dryer the better. If your seed is not dry enough you run the risk of your seeds becoming moldy,’ says Decker.
Once you have harvested the seeds, rinse them in a colander and then pick out the debris to clean them.
‘Line a shallow box or container with newspapers and paper towels, and place the seeds in a single layer on the paper to dry, says Pabst. Be sure to leave space between each seed, and let them dry completely – this can take one or two days.’
When the seeds are ready, store them in an airtight container in a cool, dry spot.
How to harvest sunflower seeds for planting or food
‘Regardless of whether you plan to harvest sunflower seeds to eat or to save them for planting, the steps for gathering them are the same,’ says Andrychowicz.
Follow this step-by-step expert guide on how to harvest sunflower seeds and, come the end of summer, you will have a bounty of seeds to plant or enjoy. ( credit: Getty s)
Harvesting Sunflower Seeds! // Garden Answer
FAQ
Can you eat freshly picked sunflower seeds?
How do you prepare freshly harvested sunflower seeds?
Can you use seeds from cut sunflowers?
How do you cook raw sunflower seeds?
To roast and salt sunflower seeds, place 1 cup of raw sunflower seeds in a quart of water with 2 to 4 tablespoons of salt. Bring the water to a boil on the stove, turn down the heat, and simmer the seeds for 15 minutes.
Can sunflower seeds be roasted?
At this time, mature sunflower seeds should fall freely from the flower head. If needed, you can help coax the seeds from the plant by gently rubbing the sunflower heads together. After harvest, sunflower seeds can be roasted. You may want to hull, or remove the seeds from their shells, before roasting them.
How to cook sunflower seeds in a crock pot?
Pour in enough water to cover the seeds. The sunflower seeds will absorb some of the water, which will prevent them from becoming too dry while roasting. Add 1/3 to 1/2 cup of salt. Stir to mix in the salt. Leave the sunflower seeds to soak in the salted water overnight. This will help to infuse the sunflower seeds with a salty flavour.
How do you cook sunflower seeds in salted water?
Stir to mix in the salt. Leave the sunflower seeds to soak in the salted water overnight. This will help to infuse the sunflower seeds with a salty flavour. Alternatively, if you are in a rush, you can place the sunflower seeds and salted water into a pot and leave to simmer for an hour and a half to two hours.