Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>]

Growing Amaranth and Quinoa (Dan's Scoop)

Recipes

There are so many similarities between quinoa (keen' wah) and amaranth that
it seems appropriate to describe them together. Quinoa, however, is a cool
weather crop and amaranth is a warm weather one.

Quinoa and amaranth are two very old, high-protein plants that hail from
South America. They were held sacred in ancient Inca and Aztec cultures.
Both now hold great potential for self-sustaining gardens in the northern
hemisphere. They grow as easily as their weedy relatives (pigweed or
lamb's-quarters) and the quality of food they offer far surpasses that of
our common grains. Traditional hand-harvesting methods can obtain bounteous
harvests.

Quinoa and amaranth are treated as grains although they have broad leaves,
unlike the true grains and corn, which are grasses. Their leaves are among
the most nutritious of vegetable greens, but it is their fruit that is
usually meant when these plants are referred to as "crops." And that fruit
or grain is quite special. The protein content of these two foods has a
essential amino acid balance that is near the ideal. They both come closer
to meeting the genuine protein requirements of the human body than either
cow's milk or soybeans. They are high in the amino acid lysine, which is
lacking in most cereals such as wheat, sorghum, corn and barley.

Both quinoa and amaranth are quite adaptable, disease-free and
drought-tolerant plants. They thrive in rich soil—as long as it is well
drained—but both will, once established, produce abundant harvests under
dry conditions.

The wild relatives of both amaranth and quinoa have long been familiar to
North American gardeners and are often called by the same name of pigweed.
The pigweed that is related to quinoa is also called lamb's-quarters
(Chenopodium album), while the ancestor of amaranth is known as red-rooted
pigweed or wild amaranth (Amaranthus retroflexus). Both pigweeds have the
amazing ability to flower and go to seed at any stage of their growth and
both will cross with their cultivated progeny. The grower who wants pure
strains of either quinoa or amaranth must therefore pay close attention to
weeds.

Most cultivars of amaranth and quinoa grow four- to eight-feet high and,
when in flower, are majestic plants whose presence emits a special radiance
in any garden. Quinoa's unique flower hues are most striking at a close
distance around dawn or dusk, while amaranth's flamboyant bronze and
burgundy tones are dazzling in bright sunshine. Smaller ornamental
amaranths such as Love-Lies-Bleeding and Prince's-Feather have been listed
in garden catalogues for hundreds of years.

Soil Preference. Quinoa and amaranth are responsive to nitrogen and
phosphorous. Plants grown in average garden soil will be four-feet to
six-feet tall, while those grown in rich soil or compost may reach over
eight feet. Optimum soil is a well-drained loam but both plants will do
well in all but poorly aerated clay soils.

Varieties. Named varieties of amaranth and quinoa are increasingly
available from seed companies. Most North Americans would be hard-pressed
to describe the subtle differences in flavour between cultivars.
Black-seeded varieties of amaranth stay quite gritty when cooked, so it is
best to use these varieties just for their leaves. All the golden and
light-colored amaranths I've tried are excellent cooked as whole grains and
all have delectable greens.

Planting Times. Quinoa grows best where maximum temperatures do not exceed
90°F (32°C) and nighttime temperatures are cool. For most southern
Canadian and northern U.S. sites, the best time to plant quinoa is late
April to late May. When soil temperatures are around 60°F (15°C)
seedlings emerge within three to four days. However, when quinoa seeds are
planted in soil with night-time temperatures much above that, quinoa, like
spinach, may not germinate. In this instance, it's best to refrigerate
seeds before planting.

Amaranth is a warm season crop that requires full sun. Best germination
occurs when soil temperatures range from 65 to 75°F (18-24°C). For
southern Canada and the northern U.S., this usually means a late May or
early June planting.

Sowing. The small seeds of amaranth and quinoa will germinate more
successfully with a finely prepared surface and adequate moisture. Seeds
should be sown no more than one-quarter inch deep in rows one and a half-
to two-feet (45-60 cm) apart or wide enough to accommodate a rototiller
between the rows without damaging the plants. Planting can be done by hand
or with a row seeder. Plants should eventually be thinned 6 to 18 inches
(15-45 cm) apart. (Thinnings make great additions to salad.)

One gram of seed will sow 50 feet (15 m) of row. An acre requires about one
pound of seed.

Maintenance. Quinoa resembles lamb's-quarters and amaranth resembles
red-rooted pigweed, especially in the early stages of growth, so it is best
to sow seed in rows to make weeding less confusing. Sowing amaranth
cultivars with purple leaves also simplifies weeding. Since seed is small,
you can avoid considerable thinning by mixing it with sand or radish seed
before sowing, as is sometimes done with carrots. Amaranth and quinoa are
low-maintenance crops but weeds, especially at the beginning, should be
discouraged by cultivation or mulching.

Soil moisture is probably sufficient until early June to germinate the
seed. Given good soil moisture, don't water until the plants reach the two-
or three-leaf stage. Quinoa and amaranth appear slow growing at first but
both are extremely drought tolerant and do well on a total of 10 inches (25
cm) of water or less. As the plants reach about one foot in height, they
start to grow very rapidly, the canopy closes in, weeds are shaded out and
less moisture is lost through evaporation.

You may have noticed occasional lamb's-quarter or amaranth weeds succumbing
to munching by insect larvae in the flowerheads and the same is sometimes
true of their cultivated cousins. This won't have any serious impact on the
harvest.

Harvesting. Quinoa is ready to harvest when the leaves have fallen, leaving
just the dried seedheads. Seeds can be easily stripped upwards off the
stalk with a gloved hand. Quinoa resists light frosts especially if the
soil is dry. So long as maturing seed is past the green stage, frost will
cause little damage and harvesting can be done a day or two later. Extreme
hot weather and warm nights inhibit fruit set. It is important to watch the
weather when quinoa is ready to be harvested: if rained on, the dry seed
can germinate. If the heads are not completely dry, harvest them when you
can barely indent the seeds with your thumbnail. They should then be
thoroughly dried before storage.

Amaranth keeps on flowering 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 gently but briskly shake
or rub the flower heads between your hands and see if the seeds fall
readily. (Numerous small and appreciative birds may give hints as to when
to start doing this.) An easy way to gather ripe grain is, in dry weather,
to bend the plants over a bucket and rub the seedheads between your hands.
My own preferred threshing method is to rub the flowerheads through
screening into a wheelbarrow and then to blow away the finer chaff using my
air compressor. Cutting and hanging plants to dry indoors does not work
very well: the plants become extremely bristly and it is difficult to
separate the seed from the chaff.

The best time to harvest amaranth commercially is in dry weather three to
seven days after first frost—a condition not easily met in many places.
Most presently available varieties maintain too high a moisture content to
be harvested mechanically before a killing frost.

Clean quinoa and amaranth with screens, by winnowing, with a fan or other
blowing device. After harvesting, it is important to further dry your crop
to ensure it won't mold in storage. It can be left on trays in the hot sun
or placed near an indoor heat source.  Stir occasionally until it is as dry
as possible. Store seed in air-tight containers in a cool dry place.

Threshing. Unlike beans or true grains, quinoa and amaranth have no hulls
to remove. However, quinoa is covered with a bitter substance called
saponin, which birds and deer won't touch. Because of this coating, quinoa
requires thorough rinsing before cooking. One method is to put the grain in
a blender with cool water at lowest speed, changing the water until it is
no longer soapy. It takes about five water changes to achieve the desired,
non-frothy result. Another way is to tie the desired amount of quinoa in a
stocking, a loose weave muslin bag, or a pillowcase and to run it through a
cold water cycle of an automatic washing machine. You can also get away
with less or no rinsing by mixing quinoa with other grains or pulses,
rendering the saponin hardly noticeable.

Commercial quinoa has had the saponin removed.

Amaranth has no saponin and no hulls, so can be cooked without additional
preparation.

Yields. An ounce or two of seed per plant is common but you can easily get
over six ounces per plant grown in your best compost. Normal commercial
yields for amaranth and quinoa are 1200 to 2000 pounds (500-900 kg) per
acre. Agricultural combines are still being adapted to the lightness of the
seed, and full harvest potential is yet to be realized.  Much higher
results are obtained from labour-intensive harvesting: yields of over 5,000
pounds per acre have been reported from Central and South America.

Cooking. Basic recipe: Bring equal volumes of amaranth/quinoa and water to
a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until all water is absorbed.
Amaranth takes about 10-12 minutes and quinoa 12-15 minutes. For a more
porridge-like consistency, use a greater proportion of water. Experiment to
find the texture you prefer.

Quinoa and amaranth both contain about 16 percent protein, E and B
vitamins, calcium, iron and phosphorous. They are easy to digest and have
wonderful flavour. Their simple distinctive taste gives them great
versatility for cooking purposes. They can be substituted for other grains
in many recipes, though they are much more filling. Because they are not
true cereal grains, they can be eaten by people who suffer from cereal
grain allergies.

Young quinoa and amaranth greens make tasty salad material and are high in
vitamins (especially calcium and iron), minerals and protein. Carrots
juiced with a small amount of either leaves make a most invigorating drink.

Older greens are wonderful steamed, stir-fried or incorporated into curries
or casseroles.  Some varieties have better greens than others and are
usually so indicated in seed catalogues. One of the tastiest amaranths
grown for greens is called Tampala. Amaranth is also called Chinese Spinach
because of its popularity as a green vegetable in that country.

Amaranth seed is often ground into flour; it contains more gluten than that
of quinoa and combines well with traditional flours in the ratio of one
part amaranth to four parts other grains.

Saving Your Own Seed. Amaranth and quinoa 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.

Outlook. Quinoa and amaranth have exciting possibilities for the home
gardener looking for hardy, easy-to-grow, high-protein foods. They have
higher food quality than our common grains such as wheat and oats, and they
don't have hulls that need to be removed by machinery prior to cooking.
Instructions on most commercial packaging to cook these grains for 30
minutes might be hampering their popularization: 15 minutes simmering is
long enough to provide soft but non-mushy grain. From my own success with
growing amaranth and quinoa over many years, I would say that the
difficulties in cultivating and preparing these two grains are relatively
minor and that the pleasures obtained in growing and eating them are
definitely major.

Salt Spring Seeds' Varieties. For both quinoa and amaranth I've tried to
maintain a good land race mix rather than focussing on varietal
differences. This has been because I haven't noticed significant flavour
differences in the cultivars that grow the best here. Multi-hued Quinoa has
unique flower tones of mauve, purple, red, orange, green and yellow. They
are not flamboyant but have a subtle brilliance: they need to be absorbed
for a while, especially in morning or evening light, to be fully
appreciated. Amaranth Mix has spectacular flowering heads of purple, red,
bronze, gold and green. Purple Amaranth has purple leaves and deep burgundy
flowers.


http://www.saltspringseeds.com/scoop/powerfood.htm
*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 10/8/2008 at 9:28 AM Pumpkin Lady wrote:

snip......


>Morgan, who still hasn't a clue when to cut this stuff. the
>seed heads are full AFAICT, but *shrug* I guess I'll cut a
>lot just before the first frost.
>_______________________________________________