Sunflower Seed Harvesting
Not only are sunflowers beautiful, they also produce some seriously tasty seeds. Here are a few tips for a solid harvest and a successful toast!
Harvesting sunflower seeds can be tricky. If you harvest too soon, you’ll have itty bitty kernels. If you wait too long, your seeds will dry out or go to the birds. Literally. Birds will pick your flowers clean. Harvest when seeds are plump, the flower petals have began to dry and fall, and the back of the flower has turned yellow.
To collect seeds, you can cover the flower heads with a paper bag or netting to protect your harvest from the winged thieves. Loosen the seeds by hand to remove them from the flower head. Dry your seeds out before storing them.
To enjoy your harvest, you can eat them right out of the shell or you can roast them with a little salt. Once dry, sunflower seeds can be stored for up to 3 months in a sealed container or up to a year when kept in the freezer. Be sure to save a few seeds so you can plant more sunflowers next year!
Come enjoy the glorious blooms here at the farm during our first ever Sunflower Festival!
