Once your seeds are clean spread them on a screen or tray to dry for a couple more days. Store the dried quinoa seeds in a jar or container. Before eating your homegrown quinoa you need to clean it of saponin, a bitter tasting compound that coats the seeds. I put the seeds in a blender with some cold water and run it on a low speed for seconds.
Rinse and repeat. I usually do this four or five times, or until the water is no longer foamy. Cook equal parts quinoa and water for 15 to 20 minutes or until the seeds are tender. Many seed companies now offer quinoa seeds in their catalogs.
While there are many varieties available, Cherry Vanilla and Brightest Brillant are the two most widely grown in home gardens. Cherry Vanilla — This variety is incredibly ornamental with plants that grow three to five feet tall. The eye-catching seedheads range from pale pink to deep fuchsia, making this crop pretty enough to be tucked into flower beds and borders as well as the vegetable garden.
Brightest Brilliant — Expect to be wowed by the dazzling shades of Brightest Brilliant quinoa. The four to six foot tall plants are topped with seedheads of red, orange, pink, cream, and even gold.
To learn more about growing unusual vegetables, be sure to check out these articles:. Now that you know how to grow quinoa, are you planning on growing it in your garden? Why do you recommend moving the quinoa the next growing season?
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You may find that the leaves get small holes from flea beetles. However, this will not usually affect the growth of the plants. The quinoa is ready to harvest as soon as the seed starts to form and the flower heads begin to change colour. In around September or October. Rub the flower heads gently between your palms and when the quinoa is ready to harvest, you will notice that some seed can be rubbed out easily.
Once your quinoa plants reach this stage, cut the heads and put them somewhere to dry out for a few days. The best way to do this is to hang them up with something below them to catch the seeds as they fall out.
Good airflow and low temperatures are essential to prevent the plants from beginning to get mouldy. You can also help with this process by removing any larger leaves and bits of stem. After drying out the seed heads for a few days, any seeds that have not already fallen out can fairly easily by rubbed out by hand.
Simply roll the heads gently between your palms to knock out the seeds. You will now have a pile of seeds, but there are likely to also be several bits of plant in there too. If you have a riddle, you can use this to separate out the seeds.
However, if you do not have one, you can simply pick out the larger pieces by hand. Now you should have a pile of seeds in their flower bracts that are somewhat dry, but which need to be dried out a little more. Lay out the seeds in their flower bracts in a thin layer on a baking tray or sheet and put them somewhere to dry. Give them a quick stir each day as you pass to make sure it all dries well.
When fully dry, the seed can be easily rubbed out of the flower bracts between two palms. Wearing some rubber gloves could make this process easier. Once you have a pile of seeds, separated from their flower bracts and other small pieces of debris, you should winnow them.
Winnowing basically involves pouring the seeds gently from one container into another in a breeze, so that small, light pieces and lighter, unviable seeds blow away. Quinoa is very much a wonder crop.
Wait until the plants shed their leaves to harvest your quinoa. When the weather is dry, bend over seed heads into a large bucket and clip them off. Working in a dry place, strip off the seeds, use a fan to winnow out debris, and spread the seeds on screens or trays to finish drying indoors.
Flea beetles may leave tiny holes in leaves, but the plants usually outgrow the damage. Several types of caterpillars may feed on quinoa, but they are easily controlled with an organic pesticide that uses Bacillus thuringiensis as its active ingredient. Position Full sun. Frost tolerant Quinoa seedlings have a low tolerance for cold, so wait to plant until after the last spring frost has passed.
Feeding Before planting, amend the soil with a light application of a balanced organic fertilizer.
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