This article offers info on how to grow the underrated and underutilized ancient food crop that is Amaranth, exploring it’s many health benefits and offering some recipe ideas to enjoy your harvests
Convinced again. I will not only try to GROW amaranth next year, but I will actually try to harvest and USE it as well. :)
I just sent this article link to my son, telling him that it’s worth looking at it just to see your colorful pictures, even if he doesn’t read the lengthy article. :)
It makes my heart glad to read that! :) What varieties have you tried growing so far?
I can try to send you some Hopi Red Dye and Golden Giant seeds if you like. :)
Thanks for sharing the article with your son and thank you for speaking candidly in your response to me on The Corbett Report regarding Christianity, the ET presence and the indigenous people's of central and south america. I am prioritizing sending out heirloom seeds to aspiring regenerative gardeners and people who have pre-ordered my book (as well as working out kinks on self-publishing my book) right now but I will respond to your comments as soon as I can.
In the early years, I think the amaranth plants just came up as volunteers. I don’t know that we ever planted any intentionally back then. I bought Hopi red dye seeds … in 2010. (I still have some seeds left which I will throw out and see what they do.) I thought I might have gotten some more recently, but didn’t find them when I went through my seeds just now. I think the cost to mail from Canada is probably prohibitive and although I would like some of your seeds, I am about to pick up a catalog and start working on my order from Fedco. They aren’t Corbetters and would disagree with us about a LOT of things - like, most or all of what James puts out :) - but their prices are reasonable, it’s pretty local (to me), and so far, I can pay through the mail…. :) I wouldn’t want you to spend the money to send them, but I will look for those two since you mentioned them. :)
No offense taken, grammar has never been my forte and I have never placed grammar as that much of a priority either. At this point, my priority is getting the practical information within the book and the seeds to the people who obviously have an interest in putting that knowledge to use so they can nourish themselves, and their loved ones, as well as create resilient communities (while giving back to the living Earth) in a timely fashion. While I acknowledge that some people might judge a book superficially based on grammatical errors and dismiss the validity of its contents based on something that arbitrary, I trust that God will guide those that are meant to benefit (and capable of benefiting) from the material, solutions, perspectives and recipes which are in my book so they can put the solutions within its pages into action. I will most certainly do my best within the timeframe I have between now and when it goes to the presses to fix grammar but the most important thing to me is not perfection, but rather getting the information out before the oligarch's control grid tightens even more.
Since amaranth seeds are tiny I could slip them in a letter and mail it for the cost of one international stamp, so it is not that big of a deal. If you cannot find the amaranth seeds you are looking for with that local company you are looking into ordering from, let me know and I will send a letter with some seeds.
Baker Creek Rare Heirloom Seeds has some other interesting types of amaranth too (like ones that produce thick, succulent colorful stems that you cook like asparagus and other varieties that have been bred to produce big colorful antioxidant-rich leaves for use like spinach). Though, I would say that the same thing you said about "Fedco" is likely true of the Baker's Creek owners (with regards to their worldviews being different from those that frequent the Corbett Report website).
I wish you all the best on your amaranth seed hunting and hope you have many bountiful harvests in 2023.
Holy Moly! What a comprehensive article on Amaranth! I wish I had seen it a few months ago but I will make a note to re-read it next year. I moved to the country in 2020 (New Hampshire/USA) and my gardening attempts have been far from stellar. I blame it on the vicious black flies and deer flies that loved my garden spot near the woods a little too much. I got ravaged just trying to water. Anyway, this year Amaranth appeared and took over the entire 25'x25' area. I ate the leaves but am sad to report that I didn't harvest any of the seeds. The birds and my lil chipmunk friend had a field day. Next year, I imagine she will be back in full force from all of the seeds that fell. And now, I will have this article to refer to! Thank you, Gavin!
That is a unique insect pressure issue I have not encountered before. Usually the garden "pest" insects cause challenges by eating the garden, but in this case they are eating the gardener! I will consult my books on beneficial predator insects, amphibians and birds to see if there could be any companion planting or micro-habitat creation strategies that might be worth trying (planting things or building mini-habitats that would attract predator insects/birds that could help keep the black flies and deer flies down to minimal numbers). I suppose spiders would probably be one of the more effective predators for catching fast moving insects like that, but perhaps dragon flies and frogs could help too.
That is interesting that Amaranth is so efficient at self-seeding and outcompeting other plants where you are. Do you have a picture of the Amaranth that took over? I have foraged for some wild Amaranth species where we live and have found that the seeds and leaves have a higher amount of oxalic acid (it is considered an anti-nutrient, limiting the absorption of some nutrients, particularly calcium and iron) than the domesticated varieties so I tended to blanch or ferment the leaves before eating and boiled/baked the seeds well before eating. I don't think nibbling on some raw wild amaranth occasionally would cause any problems, but eating it regularly may have cumulative effects for some (depending on their unique diet and metabolism).
I am glad you found the info in the article helpful and I look forward to hearing how your garden turns out in 2023 :)
Hi Gavin! Thanks for your kind reply. :) My plant ID app said that it was Purple Amaranth, Red Root Amaranth, and Red Amaranth. I was aware of the oxalic acid issue and so I was mostly adding it to soups and such. Who knows how it got there. Maybe it was in one of the packets of whatever it was I scattered helter skelter. :) I had poplar and aspen saplings show up, as well. It became my Mystery Garden. https://barbarasinclair.substack.com/p/life-lessons-from-my-mystery-garden
I look forward to savoring your posts when I have time to read them. I saw the one on moss and lichens, and a quote from one of my favorite writers, Robin Wall Kimmerer. I can't wait to read it. I just watched "Where the Crawdads Sing" which was one of my favorite books. Food for Nature lovers. Nice to meet you here on Substack 🌿
Wow Gavin! You never cease to amaze me with your knowledge and perspicacity. AND that's the most beautiful wheel barrow I've ever seen, and your miso crock ain't too shabby either! I'm looking forward to growing my giant golden amaranth. I had red growing wild in my yard but I don't think it was the Hopi variety. I've tried (and failed) at popping amaranth but I'll give it a go again. So much goodness packed into a tiny seed! Thanks for all the tips and tricks.
I am glad you are excited to grow the Golden Giant Amaranth, I am gonna be experimenting with several new varieties next year so i`ll share any fun recipes I come up with on here or my book website.
I found the trick to effectively popping amaranth is using a stainless steel pan, and testing out mini batches at various temperatures (after letting the pan evenly heat up) to see which temperature range in your stove (and with that particular pan) initiates popping within a few seconds. Once you find that ideal temperature range, then you can do larger batches more smoothly.
I am so glad to hear that the article was synchronistically aligned as to be helpful to you in your adventurous Amaranth cultivation endeavors :)
This winter I would like to try growing Amaranth as micro-greens/baby greens, harvesting some leaves multiple times, and then separating some plants into bigger pots to then be planted outside later on. That way the plant's productivity can continue from winter all the way through till next fall for providing food (and beauty). This would of course require adequate space with sunny windows or grow lights as the plants get bigger in spring (before it is warm enough to put them outside) but intermittent trimming and soup/stir fry making is always an option to keep the plants smaller till they go outside.
I am so glad to hear you found the info on the health benefits of Amaranth helpful to you. I have especially appreciated how much energy it provides me when I am working hard outside when I add the seeds (and leaves) to soups and stews. I sometimes dry the leaves (as the plants produce them prolifically in summer) as one would dry herbs such as basil and keep jars full for the winter months to add a little something extra to soups or broths. An even more efficient way to preserve the nutrition in the leaves for winter would be to bruise, salt and ferment the leaves in a jar/crock (as the Tibetans do with brassica leaves for making "Gundruk").
Yes we love growing Goji berries. I will write an article focusing on their cultivation, myriad health benefits and culinary potentials in the future. We grow three different varieties (Lycium barbarum otherwise known as "Matrimony vine" which are a type of red Goji Berries, Lycium ruthenicum (aka Black Goji berries) and Lycium chinense, (another type of red Goji Berries). Given how long lived goji vines are, their drought tolerance, their prolific berry production rates and the amazing spectrum of nutrients present in the berries (and leaves) I feel they are a very important crop for increasing localized food/health sovereignty in a number of climates (including most of North America). I have been scaling up our seed saving and rooting cuttings from our 7 year old vines for sharing with local berry farmers to hopefully get them well established in our local community. There are a few younger farmers that seem genuinely interested and have taken a few dozen seedlings I gave them, so hopefully in a few years I will start seeing some fresh Goji berries available at our local farmers markets.
Sure I can do a separate article on how to make miso paste. It may not be until later this winter but i`ll add it on the list :) . I still have several jars of that one batch shown in the pics above (now having been aged for almost three seasons and being a rich dark color with strong multi-layered umani flavors). I am gonna be experimenting with cultivating our own Koji on some locally harvested wild rice this winter and attempting to make a miso paste with Runner Beans and Hopi Red Dye Amaranth seed (for an antioxidant rich red/purple paste). Have you read The Art of Fermentation by Sandor Katz? I used an adapted version of the recipe for miso paste in that book for making our first batches. I agree with regards to your observations about most store bought miso. When I buy miso (which is not that often as we make about 2 new five litre batches a year now) I usually get it from this company https://www.southrivermiso.com/ . I find they put a lot of love, care, patience and quality ingredients into their creations.
Wow you have done beautiful varieties . Great post, thank you Gavin!
Convinced again. I will not only try to GROW amaranth next year, but I will actually try to harvest and USE it as well. :)
I just sent this article link to my son, telling him that it’s worth looking at it just to see your colorful pictures, even if he doesn’t read the lengthy article. :)
It makes my heart glad to read that! :) What varieties have you tried growing so far?
I can try to send you some Hopi Red Dye and Golden Giant seeds if you like. :)
Thanks for sharing the article with your son and thank you for speaking candidly in your response to me on The Corbett Report regarding Christianity, the ET presence and the indigenous people's of central and south america. I am prioritizing sending out heirloom seeds to aspiring regenerative gardeners and people who have pre-ordered my book (as well as working out kinks on self-publishing my book) right now but I will respond to your comments as soon as I can.
Wishing you a bountiful and joyful new year.
In the early years, I think the amaranth plants just came up as volunteers. I don’t know that we ever planted any intentionally back then. I bought Hopi red dye seeds … in 2010. (I still have some seeds left which I will throw out and see what they do.) I thought I might have gotten some more recently, but didn’t find them when I went through my seeds just now. I think the cost to mail from Canada is probably prohibitive and although I would like some of your seeds, I am about to pick up a catalog and start working on my order from Fedco. They aren’t Corbetters and would disagree with us about a LOT of things - like, most or all of what James puts out :) - but their prices are reasonable, it’s pretty local (to me), and so far, I can pay through the mail…. :) I wouldn’t want you to spend the money to send them, but I will look for those two since you mentioned them. :)
No offense taken, grammar has never been my forte and I have never placed grammar as that much of a priority either. At this point, my priority is getting the practical information within the book and the seeds to the people who obviously have an interest in putting that knowledge to use so they can nourish themselves, and their loved ones, as well as create resilient communities (while giving back to the living Earth) in a timely fashion. While I acknowledge that some people might judge a book superficially based on grammatical errors and dismiss the validity of its contents based on something that arbitrary, I trust that God will guide those that are meant to benefit (and capable of benefiting) from the material, solutions, perspectives and recipes which are in my book so they can put the solutions within its pages into action. I will most certainly do my best within the timeframe I have between now and when it goes to the presses to fix grammar but the most important thing to me is not perfection, but rather getting the information out before the oligarch's control grid tightens even more.
Since amaranth seeds are tiny I could slip them in a letter and mail it for the cost of one international stamp, so it is not that big of a deal. If you cannot find the amaranth seeds you are looking for with that local company you are looking into ordering from, let me know and I will send a letter with some seeds.
Baker Creek Rare Heirloom Seeds has some other interesting types of amaranth too (like ones that produce thick, succulent colorful stems that you cook like asparagus and other varieties that have been bred to produce big colorful antioxidant-rich leaves for use like spinach). Though, I would say that the same thing you said about "Fedco" is likely true of the Baker's Creek owners (with regards to their worldviews being different from those that frequent the Corbett Report website).
I wish you all the best on your amaranth seed hunting and hope you have many bountiful harvests in 2023.
Holy Moly! What a comprehensive article on Amaranth! I wish I had seen it a few months ago but I will make a note to re-read it next year. I moved to the country in 2020 (New Hampshire/USA) and my gardening attempts have been far from stellar. I blame it on the vicious black flies and deer flies that loved my garden spot near the woods a little too much. I got ravaged just trying to water. Anyway, this year Amaranth appeared and took over the entire 25'x25' area. I ate the leaves but am sad to report that I didn't harvest any of the seeds. The birds and my lil chipmunk friend had a field day. Next year, I imagine she will be back in full force from all of the seeds that fell. And now, I will have this article to refer to! Thank you, Gavin!
Hi Barbara :)
That is a unique insect pressure issue I have not encountered before. Usually the garden "pest" insects cause challenges by eating the garden, but in this case they are eating the gardener! I will consult my books on beneficial predator insects, amphibians and birds to see if there could be any companion planting or micro-habitat creation strategies that might be worth trying (planting things or building mini-habitats that would attract predator insects/birds that could help keep the black flies and deer flies down to minimal numbers). I suppose spiders would probably be one of the more effective predators for catching fast moving insects like that, but perhaps dragon flies and frogs could help too.
That is interesting that Amaranth is so efficient at self-seeding and outcompeting other plants where you are. Do you have a picture of the Amaranth that took over? I have foraged for some wild Amaranth species where we live and have found that the seeds and leaves have a higher amount of oxalic acid (it is considered an anti-nutrient, limiting the absorption of some nutrients, particularly calcium and iron) than the domesticated varieties so I tended to blanch or ferment the leaves before eating and boiled/baked the seeds well before eating. I don't think nibbling on some raw wild amaranth occasionally would cause any problems, but eating it regularly may have cumulative effects for some (depending on their unique diet and metabolism).
I am glad you found the info in the article helpful and I look forward to hearing how your garden turns out in 2023 :)
Hi Gavin! Thanks for your kind reply. :) My plant ID app said that it was Purple Amaranth, Red Root Amaranth, and Red Amaranth. I was aware of the oxalic acid issue and so I was mostly adding it to soups and such. Who knows how it got there. Maybe it was in one of the packets of whatever it was I scattered helter skelter. :) I had poplar and aspen saplings show up, as well. It became my Mystery Garden. https://barbarasinclair.substack.com/p/life-lessons-from-my-mystery-garden
I look forward to savoring your posts when I have time to read them. I saw the one on moss and lichens, and a quote from one of my favorite writers, Robin Wall Kimmerer. I can't wait to read it. I just watched "Where the Crawdads Sing" which was one of my favorite books. Food for Nature lovers. Nice to meet you here on Substack 🌿
wow. well researched referenced and delicious looking xxx
Thanks! :)
Wow Gavin! You never cease to amaze me with your knowledge and perspicacity. AND that's the most beautiful wheel barrow I've ever seen, and your miso crock ain't too shabby either! I'm looking forward to growing my giant golden amaranth. I had red growing wild in my yard but I don't think it was the Hopi variety. I've tried (and failed) at popping amaranth but I'll give it a go again. So much goodness packed into a tiny seed! Thanks for all the tips and tricks.
Thank you for the kind and thoughtful comment Tereza :)
We love our crock, it was made by an artist named Mark Campbell (from Cali). I think next time we get one I am gonna go full blue (like this one: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0zyjz1TjfhedjLeEXMydanK75fboU2tsb4zZYa1YVn34rRYji7r8o36zQ2kts85tPl&id=207273775986073 ). He makes each piece, custom to order and the quality is very good. It was no small investment for me at the time, but creations like his are something that I will cherish and care for to gift onto future generations (using Kintsugi techniques to fix it if it ever breaks). Here is a link to his etsy store in case you ever want to get him to make you something: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MarkCampbellCeramics :)
I am glad you are excited to grow the Golden Giant Amaranth, I am gonna be experimenting with several new varieties next year so i`ll share any fun recipes I come up with on here or my book website.
I found the trick to effectively popping amaranth is using a stainless steel pan, and testing out mini batches at various temperatures (after letting the pan evenly heat up) to see which temperature range in your stove (and with that particular pan) initiates popping within a few seconds. Once you find that ideal temperature range, then you can do larger batches more smoothly.
You are most welcome, happy amaranth popping! :)
I am so glad to hear that the article was synchronistically aligned as to be helpful to you in your adventurous Amaranth cultivation endeavors :)
This winter I would like to try growing Amaranth as micro-greens/baby greens, harvesting some leaves multiple times, and then separating some plants into bigger pots to then be planted outside later on. That way the plant's productivity can continue from winter all the way through till next fall for providing food (and beauty). This would of course require adequate space with sunny windows or grow lights as the plants get bigger in spring (before it is warm enough to put them outside) but intermittent trimming and soup/stir fry making is always an option to keep the plants smaller till they go outside.
I am so glad to hear you found the info on the health benefits of Amaranth helpful to you. I have especially appreciated how much energy it provides me when I am working hard outside when I add the seeds (and leaves) to soups and stews. I sometimes dry the leaves (as the plants produce them prolifically in summer) as one would dry herbs such as basil and keep jars full for the winter months to add a little something extra to soups or broths. An even more efficient way to preserve the nutrition in the leaves for winter would be to bruise, salt and ferment the leaves in a jar/crock (as the Tibetans do with brassica leaves for making "Gundruk").
Yes we love growing Goji berries. I will write an article focusing on their cultivation, myriad health benefits and culinary potentials in the future. We grow three different varieties (Lycium barbarum otherwise known as "Matrimony vine" which are a type of red Goji Berries, Lycium ruthenicum (aka Black Goji berries) and Lycium chinense, (another type of red Goji Berries). Given how long lived goji vines are, their drought tolerance, their prolific berry production rates and the amazing spectrum of nutrients present in the berries (and leaves) I feel they are a very important crop for increasing localized food/health sovereignty in a number of climates (including most of North America). I have been scaling up our seed saving and rooting cuttings from our 7 year old vines for sharing with local berry farmers to hopefully get them well established in our local community. There are a few younger farmers that seem genuinely interested and have taken a few dozen seedlings I gave them, so hopefully in a few years I will start seeing some fresh Goji berries available at our local farmers markets.
Sure I can do a separate article on how to make miso paste. It may not be until later this winter but i`ll add it on the list :) . I still have several jars of that one batch shown in the pics above (now having been aged for almost three seasons and being a rich dark color with strong multi-layered umani flavors). I am gonna be experimenting with cultivating our own Koji on some locally harvested wild rice this winter and attempting to make a miso paste with Runner Beans and Hopi Red Dye Amaranth seed (for an antioxidant rich red/purple paste). Have you read The Art of Fermentation by Sandor Katz? I used an adapted version of the recipe for miso paste in that book for making our first batches. I agree with regards to your observations about most store bought miso. When I buy miso (which is not that often as we make about 2 new five litre batches a year now) I usually get it from this company https://www.southrivermiso.com/ . I find they put a lot of love, care, patience and quality ingredients into their creations.
You are very welcome, you as well!
Thanks for the comment