Sunflower seeds....

[Anonymous Poster]

My mammoth sunflowers are just starting to droop and I really want to harvest the seeds for a snack for the family. I tried roasting them plain, and they were okay, but not being salted, they are just not the same as the store bought.

I tried soaking them in brine but after roasting they are not crisp, but kind of rubbery. Does anyone here know the secret to preparing them so that they taste like the store bought?

 

[Schultz]

I saw an article in Mother Earth News last fall about a self-proclaimed sunflower crazy woman. Here solution to shucking them was to use her Kirby vacuum. She would take the bag off, lay a sheet out and vacuum up the seeds w/ shells. The seeds would fall within the first couple of feet and the chaff/shells would blow out farther. Unlike most vacuums, the Kirby's have an impeller before the vacuum bag; in this case, it serves to knock off the shell. If you don't have an old Kirby around you might be able to do something based on this principle.

 

[wichiwichi]

Try hanging the heads in a cool dry place untill thourougly dry. Then soak in brine and roast at high heat.