Lots more info on Amaranth and seeds.

Looking nice and healthy...Too bad we don't have them here...
Just keep all that chemical crap away from them...Nature Rules!...

 

From page one of this tread:

"Timing of harvest is not as straightforward as with the commodity crops. In northern states, amaranth growers usually wait to harvest until about a week after the first hard frost, letting the frost completely kill the plant and make the crop drier for harvesting. In Missouri, Plainsman amaranth, the most common variety, will almost always drop its leaves prior to frost, usually by early or mid-October."
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Not sure is you saw this and didn't want you to harvest it to early.

 

Picture updates from 9/5. Tallest plants (Burgundy) are 7' and shortest (Joseph Coat's) are 1'. Don't know what's up with the 1 foot plants but they sure don't like it here. The best growers in order are Burgundy, Hopi Red Dye and Golden Giant. The worst growers in order are Joseph Coat's, Molten Fire and Elephant Head. The Hopi plants are the closest red plants in the first pic and look short, but the seed heads are so big on them that they are leaning over. In the second pic you can see the Joseph Coat's to the left of the Burgundy, pathetic.

 

I have read that, but I have also read that if birds start gathering and eatting the seed then it is time to bend the plant into a paper bag, or something else, and shake. Then repeat a few days later, then repeat again till done.
However, my tallest plants are over 10' tall and this would be VERY hard.
And it is the tallest plants that look more ready than the rest. I will just have to wait and see if birds start eatting the seed.

 

Got a closeup of the seed-head?

 

<style></style>The seed head pics are 2 each of the following varieties in this order: Molten Fire, Burgundy, Golden Giant, Elephant Head and Hopi Red Dye. The seed head length for the 3 best are Burgundy 18", Golden 12" and Hopi 12". I did not include any pics of the Joseph Coat's plants because they are under a foot tall and have no seeds.

 

Amaranth is fine food

Great to see so much interest in this great food.
My covert use of Amaranth, perhaps a bit 'naughty', is to surreptitiously scatter several handfuls of seeds in the ditches, field edge lines and other places where I will be, or might end up.. someday SHTF. I also do this with Quinoa. Which is of similar impact for food values as Amaranth...

 

It does look like interesting plant...Never seen it in my life...

 

Amaranth Harvest

Finally harvested the Burgundy, Golden Giant and Hopi Red Dye Amaranth. I did the harvest a little early since we have not had a frost yet. The seed heads were getting heavy and birds were getting them and dropping seeds all over. The seed heads (seeds, chaff and minimal stems) were put into full size paper grocery bags and I got the following full bags of each type:

Burgundy, 10 plants = 4 bags
Golden Giant, 9 plants = 2 bags
Hopi Red Dye, 11 plants = 2 bags

I am currently running what is in each bag through the clothes dryer in a zipped up pillow case to dry it out. If anyone has a better idea on drying it out please let me know, I have 7 bags to go.

The pics are of my wife's hand next to the Golden Giant and Burgundy seed heads and the glove is 6" wide and 10" tall.

 

Not sure how much seed I am going to get after it is dried out and cleaned up, but I have a Back To Basics Grain Mill that I have used before with my Wheatgrass Amaranth seeds. Was thinking about storing what I get and grinding when needed.

 

I am having a problem of about 10% of my plants have fallen over. I was out of town on bussiness when it happened.
Also, I have tried to harvest a small amount and am have trouble seperating the chaff from the seed, I tried a hair blower and just the wind, but I am lossing alot of seeds.

How are you doing it, Mountianman?

 

I am not at that point yet, I am in the process of removing as much stem material as possible and drying it out. I am planning on using a screen to start with and then a fan or blow dryer. Will let you know how it goes.
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Hey I broke open one of the stalks of my amaranth and took a bite of the inside. Well, it taste a little like celery with the consistancy, and moisture of unripe watermellon.

 

This whole thread, and the enthusiasm that was resparked has been amazing. I want to applaude all of you who actually gave this a try and were so successful. I was nothing more than a cheerleader in this effort. You all did great!!!
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For my next performance......
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I will be looking real hard at Kudzu. Yes you heard me right "KUDZU". It is edible to humans, is excellent free, rapid growing green fodder for small livestock (think rabbits). It can be controlled, contained, and or even destroyed with due dilligence. However, if you plant this and walk away, it can and has been "the Vine that ate the South." It is higher in protien and more nutritious for your livestock than alfalfa hay. Others have used it for goats and cattle as well. It can be grown anywhere. Do a little of an online search with an open mind, and see what you can find.

 

Well start a new thread, or in my case walk down the street pick some and eat. I have a freind who has a survivaltek web site who has done a workshop here in the area wear he cooked kudzu (fried).

 

Well I harvested my Amaranth today, on Nov 12. I will give an update on the best after I seperate it and eat some. Right now I think that Red Leaf Grain is going to be my top pick for this area. I got quite a bit and it was easy to harvest, and if I remember without looking at my notes, it had the best tasting leaves.

 

I just purchaced 7 more varities of amranth from this site for next year. Looks like a good site!

Native Seeds Search

 

I feel like I am the only one posting here lately, but I have more info to share. I am reading a great book on Amaranth that I did not find 8 months ago when I was looking for books on amaranth. It is "Amaranth from the past for the future". I have learn stuff from it I wish I knew last spring. I will focus mostly on blond seed, or grain amaranth next year. It also tells how not to let your plant cross pollinate, and many more great stuff. This is the time to learn about it for next season. I found it on Amazon.com.

Also, I have threshed, and seperated two kinds of my amaranth. It is getting easier as I learn how.