Amaranth

Megan, what do you do with it?

It has bounced back nicely. The golden seed head is beautiful, and I guess it will elongate.

The bugs have taken a liking to my amaranth and turned many of the leaves to lace.
This is despite the fact that I sprayed it w/ Seven.
Oh well, the amaranth is distracting them away from the neighboring tomatoes.
I have seed heads, but the seeds look brown. I'm guessing they're not ready to be thrashed until they are black.

@ Martha: I am shamed to say I haven't tried eating it yet. Am hoping to this weekend. But there's two basic answers to your question: The smaller leaves can be eaten, similar to spinach, and the seed can be eaten as well.

@1chichi: Those photos are of the biggest plant, not the one that snapped in half. Though the one that broke is doing okay; it is sprouted enough smaller leaves to make a decent meal, actually, but I am leaving it alone for now. If you're curious, I can take some pictures.

Sorry to hear about your insect damage. I've had a few leaves go yellow, and there are holes here and there, but I'm seeing a lot less insect damage than I expected. A couple leaves are in shreds from where they have rubbed repeatedly against the side of the adjacent cucumber cage as the amaranth grew past it. One leaf turned bright yellow and I see no good reason for that other than several tightly-twined cucumber tendrils around its stem, am guessing it's choked.

I think the seed head will get much bigger. This is a grain amaranth variety. Can't wait! Also, the seed color varies, I think. I don't know how to tell if it's ready, but I'm betting the birds can help me with that one.

How is your callaloo doing? :?:

Well, I just harvested it. Threshing is going to take some work!!



(P.S. OMG the spiders!!!)

Congratulations on your harvest, Megan! Let us know what the amaranth grain is like once you've figured out how to thresh it ... I have no idea, or I'd offer you some advice.

Thanks! I am drying it now... there is a lot of grain coming loose already, but I am waiting in hopes of making it easier. Then comes the winnowing, which I have no idea how to do!

I ate some Quinoa last night, it was good. I am told it is easier to grow Amaranth in my zone than Quinoa. What's the final verdict on Amaranth, was it worth growing? Did you ever eat it? like it?

I haven't grown amaranth to eat, but we eat it. I grew it because it's beautiful It's used as a thickener because when you cook it it gets pretty sticky. I mix it in with our oatmeal.

Squat: It is super easy to grow. I am ashamed to say I never actually tried any of the leaves because I wasn't quite sure how to cook them, but I gave them all to my neighbor across the street and she was very happy to get them. I would say, if you have some room, try it. It is a beautiful plant (big, too, at least mine was! I would be glad to send you some seed, just pm me.

One thing I can say: Direct-seed, do not transplant. My transplants were half the size of the direct seeded one.

Old thread but I was wondering whatever happened with the grain you harvested? Did you get it winnowed and use any of it?

Is anyone growing amaranth this year?

JK, I just found this post too. I've grown Hopi Red Dye Amaranth in my old non-SFG garden. I had many a breakfast of the young tender leaves tossed into a fry pan till wilted, then cracked a nice fresh duck egg on top. You can also add the young leaves to salads but I prefer them cooked. I think you want to harvest them small rather than use the mature leaves.

I'm glad to read that amaranth is successful in SFGs!

Hello Everyone,
I am very very new to this forum. I was doing a search on google on how to grow calalloo via sq ft gardening. I am Jamaican so, i am beyond experience with this hardy plant. Here are a few tips for you guys.

1. don't wait till they get over 1 ft or so before you cut them, That is when they are tender. Don't worry they will grow back, that's what they do best lol.
2. They grow any where, in shade and or sun and they will come up every year

3. You can cook calalloo many ways, in soups and steamed. I will give you 2 recipes bellow. Let me know if you like.

Steam Calalloo

10-12 stalks washed and chopped
1 onion chopped fine
1 garlic
2-3 sprigs Thyme
1 whole tomato
tad of butter
salt
black pepper
olive oil
salted cod fish if desired

Direction:
drizzle olive oil in pot. Add onion and garlic to hot oil, then saute till tender. Add thyme and tomato saute and then add calalloo. Put tad of butter on top sprinkle salt, black pepper and cover. steam on low until calalloo is reduced in size. Voila

If you want to add the cod fish, be sure to soak the fish over night to get rid of some of the saltyness. You would simply break them up into little pieces and add on top of calalloo, then put the butter on top and steam.

In Jamaica, we eat calalloo with boiled green bananas, dumpling, yam or even rice. I personally eat mine with egg, avocado and beef liver, but that's just me.

Let me know if you want a recipe on Pepperpot (calalloo) soup. Very delicious

Here in the Pacific Northwest and in the Rocky Mountains, we've been eating amaranth forever. You probably have some in your yard/garden, too, it's wild lamb's quarter plants, a cousin of the fancy amaranth, and just as tasty. There's a pretty good instructional YouTube video on identification of wild amaranth and lamb's quarters (aka goosefoot): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9VLFBsjYag
This video though is in dry country, so remember lambs' quarters plants here in western Oregon is somewhat different (no leaf edges that are purplish). The underside of the leaves is "dusted" with a water-repelling surfacing. So watch for these "weeds" in your garden and treat yourself to a delicious green! Nonna

Dstack sent me some Molten Fire Amaranth this year.  Here is the plant 2 months earlier (6-5) and today (8-15):


I have no idea what I'm doing. I eat a leaf now and then but don't know how this story ends. Any help? Thanks.

sanderson wrote:Dstack sent me some Molten Fire Amaranth this year.  Here is the plant 2 months earlier (6-5) and today (8-15):


I have no idea what I'm doing.  I eat a leaf now and then but don't know how this story ends.  Any help?  Thanks.

Nice!  At some point it should start growing the brilliant colors...



Once you have several of these going (they reseed themselves) you won't mind harvesting some of the tops, while letting others display their beauty.  And you can harvest these when they start to fade their colors if their too beautiful to eat. 

Here's one with the yellow amaranth in the back...

Wow! Thanks.

After reading about Amaranth this evening in the big Baker Seed catalog, I started to think I would like to try it.  So I searched our SFG forum and found this thread.  I'm not sure I will be able to grow Amaranth up here in Ottawa (Canadian hardiness zone 5a).

There is some research about Amaranth being done in Ontario. The article in the link below mentions the Vineland Research Station. Vineland is a community close to St.Catharines which is near Niagara Falls. When I was a teenager living in St.Catharines, I had a summer job at that same Vineland Research Station. One of the areas of research that I helped with was in connection with different varieties of tomatoes.

http://fooddaycanada.ca/made-in-canada/amaranth/

I just discovered amaranth in Marie's spreadsheet and was very curious. Thanks, TD, for digging up this old thread. I think there might be some amaranth in my future.

My one plant (seeds from Dstack) was a success.  I will grow it again for flower beds in front and one or two for eating in the beds.  I will need to stake so it doesn't act like a crossing guard.

Let me know if you want some of the seeds, CN. Or you can try some of the organic amaranth at your local store. I'm planning on putting it in a 5-gallon bucket to see how it does.

I've had a number of Molten Fire volunteers come up in a couple of my SFG boxes.  I'll be a nice splash of color for a commercial that we're shooting this Wednesday for a compost product.  ("Ultra Compost").  Of course I'm excited to try a new source of compost, as well as show off the garden. 

But anyway, I highly recommend Amaranth, and I'll be curious to hear how well it does in Canada.  With the many varieties I'm sure there's got to be one that does well.

AtlantaMarie wrote:Let me know if you want some of the seeds, CN.  Or you can try some of the organic amaranth at your local store.  I'm planning on putting it in a 5-gallon bucket to see how it does.

Oooo, I'd LOVE some seeds. I'll PM you with my address.

countrynaturals wrote:

AtlantaMarie wrote:Let me know if you want some of the seeds, CN.  Or you can try some of the organic amaranth at your local store.  I'm planning on putting it in a 5-gallon bucket to see how it does.

Oooo, I'd LOVE some seeds. I'll PM you with my address.

I just transplanted your babies last night, Marie. Thank you so much for putting me onto these. They went from Jiffy Pellets to peat pots, so they'll never know they were transplanted when they finally get to their forever homes.

It's so CUTE!

Have fun!

AtlantaMarie wrote:It's so CUTE!

Have fun!

Doncha just love baby pictures?   But they grow up so fast . . .