I have had a great deal more trouble with the amranthus seed extraction compared to the quinoa. If you had to make a choice Nicko, which of these two grains would you prefer to grow and process?Nicko wrote:Update on the Quinoa saponins removal tech.
The whole process is speeded up considerably by rubbing the seed together in the warm water. Far better than just soak and rinse.
Nick
crops you find worth growing
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alternative-energy
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Finally got round to threshing and winnowing the amaranth.alternative-energy wrote:I have had a great deal more trouble with the amranthus seed extraction compared to the quinoa. If you had to make a choice Nicko, which of these two grains would you prefer to grow and process?Nicko wrote:Update on the Quinoa saponins removal tech.
The whole process is speeded up considerably by rubbing the seed together in the warm water. Far better than just soak and rinse.
Nick
I found it easier than the quinoa. I think that maybe to do with how dry it was. I threshed the quinoa after only a few weeks of drying whereas the amaranth got several months drying in a sack. Most of the seed was at the bottom of the sack and the mixed in seed cases were that dry that they blew away nicely when winnowed.
I have just eaten some boiled(no saponin taste), and ground some into flour. It ground easily.
So for me I think I might go for amaranth over quinoa because it is more versatile. The leaves are edible, the flowers are medicinal and a natural dye, and because there are no saponins the the seed can be ground to flour. The down side is the smaller seed and possible yield. Maybe there is room for both . A quick search found this:
"Amaranth and Quinoa
Amaranth and quinoa are cross-pollinated annuals that are often mistakenly called grains. They will cross with their wild relatives, so it is important to weed out red-rooted pigweed and lamb’s-quarters if you want to maintain pure seed. Amaranth cultivars will cross with each other as will quinoa cultivars, so grow only one kind of each or separate cultivars by as much distance as you can. Certain varieties, such as purple-leaved amaranth, are easier to select for than others. Lamb’s-quarters has a greater branching habit than quinoa and smaller flowerheads.
Amaranthis one of very few seeds to harvest while plants are still flowering. It is more practical and efficient to get amaranth seeds before the plants die down.
Amaranth keeps going until hit by the first hard frost. Seed will often ripen many weeks before that, usually after about three months. The best way to determine if seed is harvestable is to briskly shake or rub the flower heads between your hands and see if seeds fall readily. An easy way to gather ripe amaranth is, during dry weather, to bend the plants over a bucket and rub the seedheads between your hands. On a larger scale, you can carefully stack bunches of cut flowerheads, then rub them through screening into a large container or wheelbarrow. Cutting and hanging plants to dry indoors does not work very well with amaranth: the plants become extremely bristly and reluctant to release seeds.
Harvesting fresh seed from still flowering plants means seeds still have drying to do. It’s most important to further dry your crop to ensure it won’t mold in storage. I usually leave amaranth seeds on trays for two or three hot days, stirring occasionally until they are as dry as possible. Store seed in tight containers in a cool dry place.
Quinoa, a plant similar to amaranth in many ways, is harvested like most other crops. It is ready to pick when the leaves have fallen, leaving just the dried seedheads. Seeds can be easily stripped upwards off the stalk with a gloved hand.
Quinoa is adapted to conditions of such low moisture that, if rained on, the mature seed can germinate. It’s best to harvest quinoa just a little early if it is almost ready and extended rainfall is forecast.
Amaranth and quinoa have a very high quality nutritional profile but the machinery of industrial agriculture does not efficiently harvest them. They have enormous potential for small-scale sustainable agriculture."
So I am guessing this means that quinoa and amaranth will not cross with each other, so maybe there is room for both.
Nick
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emordnilap
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emordnilap
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The beans are in a polytunnel. The drying process, we're working on that but this is a damp country...must try harder!Nicko wrote:I am guessing you are in a warmer place than Lincolnshire if your broad beans are maturing now.emordnilap wrote:Our peas, which we had frozen, are nearly gone.
Just in time for the broad beans maturing.
Two really great crops, easy to grow.
Peas are good for drying aswell.
I experience pleasure and pains, and pursue goals in service of them, so I cannot reasonably deny the right of other sentient agents to do the same - Steven Pinker
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RenewableCandy
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emordnilap
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Coo.RenewableCandy wrote:What is the secret with peas??? Ours have always snuffed it after growing but before producing anything. Do they need a lot of water? Do they hate wind?
I dunno. It always struck me that peas were the easiest in the world to grow, just give them a frame/netting to climb up and harvest 'em when ready.We eat shedloads fresh peas, make pea soup and freeze bagsful.
Herself likes to plant them on ground she's earmarked for other stuff the next year (must find out what she has in mind) and this last lot were grown where we had spuds the year before. They must like the wind and rain, so yes and no, RC.
I experience pleasure and pains, and pursue goals in service of them, so I cannot reasonably deny the right of other sentient agents to do the same - Steven Pinker
Wow,I have some in the tunnel aswell but they are nowhere near flowering. I would be interested to know how you get them to crop so early.emordnilap wrote:The beans are in a polytunnel. The drying process, we're working on that but this is a damp country...must try harder!Nicko wrote:I am guessing you are in a warmer place than Lincolnshire if your broad beans are maturing now.emordnilap wrote:Our peas, which we had frozen, are nearly gone.
Just in time for the broad beans maturing.
Two really great crops, easy to grow.
Peas are good for drying aswell.
When did you sow? is there heat in the tunnel? what variety?
Very interested, it would be great to get a crop of broad beans in January/February.
We grow ours in modules with 5 or so peas in each. Otherwise the mice eat the seed.In April or May, when about 15cm high we plant out in blocks 30cm apart, water in and leave them until the pea pods are drying on the plants.RenewableCandy wrote:What is the secret with peas??? Ours have always snuffed it after growing but before producing anything. Do they need a lot of water? Do they hate wind?
We grow a type called Maro, bred for drying. Our soil is moist and well mulched, but it is a windy site. Maro only grow about 60cm high and don't need any support.
Nick
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RenewableCandy
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emordnilap
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They're not cropping yet.Nicko wrote:Wow,I have some in the tunnel aswell but they are nowhere near flowering. I would be interested to know how you get them to crop so early.emordnilap wrote:The beans are in a polytunnel. The drying process, we're working on that but this is a damp country...must try harder!Nicko wrote: I am guessing you are in a warmer place than Lincolnshire if your broad beans are maturing now.
Peas are good for drying aswell.
When did you sow? is there heat in the tunnel? what variety?
Very interested, it would be great to get a crop of broad beans in January/February.
I wish. They will be when we run out of peas though...they've just finished flowering. We have a couple of varieties, I'll go look them out.There's no heat in the pt but we're having an exceptionally mild winter and have even had sun a few days recently, unlike the summer.
The daffs are in bloom, silly things.I experience pleasure and pains, and pursue goals in service of them, so I cannot reasonably deny the right of other sentient agents to do the same - Steven Pinker