Lots more info on Amaranth and seeds.

[tacmotusn]

I have been doing a great deal of research on grain Amaranth, and vegetable Amaranth. There is a guy in Arizona who was getting inbetween one cup and one pound of seed per plant. He was planting Golden Giant Amaranth. My seed searches provided glimses at more and more info. One recent search turned up a seed seller on Amazon with excellent reviews, decent prices, and an extensive selection. Hirts Garden is the dealer.

Amazon.com: Hirts: Seed; Perennial Patio, Lawn & Garden

The following links are for the items I decided to purchase

golden giant amaranth

organic burgundy amaranth

organic Hopi Red-Dye amaranth

the 3 above are heavy yielding grain types

molten fire amaranth

Josephs Coat amaranth

elephant head amaranth
another grain type.

A couple other comments on Amaranth.
The protein in Amaranth is high in lysine, which accounts for 5% of total protein. It also has a very high "chemical score," a calculated value in which the higher numbers are the more perfect match for ideal human nutrition. For example, the chemical score for amaranth is 75-87, corn 44, wheat 57, sorghum 48, peanut 52, soybean 68, cow's milk 72.
This stuff is great for you!

Point 2. It should not be eaten raw. not the leaves, not the seed. Cooking, toasting, boiling or whatever elliminates any problems caused by eating it raw. The seeds raw will kill chickens if they are allowed to eat it raw in quanity.

One other thing, as benificial as Amaranth is as a grain, IT HAS NO GLUTEN. it will not rise. Mix it 50/50 with wheat flour to make excellent healthy hearty bread.

I have no connection with Hirts Garden what so ever, except as a customer impressed with their product. As I have read online... lol... Your Mileage May Vary.

I will be planting test garden patches of the plant as both grain and vegetable this year, and will report back as I harvest my crop. I by no means am an expert gardener or plant expert. I can read and surf online however if something peaks my interest.

Good Luck with all you plant this year, and please share both your successes and failures for info purposes for the rest of us. Thanks.

[Mountainman]

Thank you for the links and info. I will be growing it along with you and putting updates on here.

"Point 2. It should not be eaten raw. not the leaves, not the seed. Cooking, toasting, boiling or whatever elliminates any problems caused by eating it raw."

Can you please explain this or post a link about it.

[tacmotusn]

Originally Posted by Mountainman

"Point 2. It should not be eaten raw. not the leaves, not the seed. Cooking, toasting, boiling or whatever elliminates any problems caused by eating it raw."

Can you please explain this or post a link about it.

too much to type, and I can't steal the words from this 6 page pdf file. Open the file. Page 2, 2nd paragraph (the one just below the table) explains about raw leaves.
.
page 3, the paragraphs just above "cultivation" explain about raw seeds.

I had another source about this as well, but can't find it at this point in time.....sorry.

the pdf link; http://www.food-security.info/pdf%20...eg%20Types.pdf

[Mountainman]

My new seeds from this company and my 2nd generation ones from last years plants came up today. I have been keeping them in the house with an average temp of 70 degrees and they are going to stay in until the chance of frost is gone.

If I sent you seeds, these are the same ones (new seeds) you received.

[tacmotusn]

Overview Plant Description Utilization Economics How to Grow Seed Selection Planting Fertility Pest Management Harvest and Storage Overview Amaranth is a broadleaf plant that could be mistaken for soybeans early in the growing season by someone driving past a field. Late in the season, however, there is no mistaking this striking, tall crop which develops brilliantly colored grain heads producing thousands of tiny seeds. Amaranth was a major food of the Aztecs and earlier American cultures, having been domesticated thousands of years ago. After the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadors in Mexico in the early 1500s, amaranth almost disappeared in the Americas as a crop until research began on it in the U.S. in the 1970s. In the meantime, amaranth had spread around the world, and became established for food use of the grain or leaves in places such as Africa, India and Nepal. In the past two decades, amaranth has begun to be grown by a much larger number of farmers around the world, in China, Russia, parts of eastern Europe, South America and is reemerging as a crop in Mexico. The attraction of the crop to both earlier civilizations and modern consumers is the highly nutritious, golden seed. Amaranth seeds are unusually high in protein for a non-legume, running around 14 to 16% protein. Even better, the protein is well balanced in amino acids, and is high in lysine, an amino acid most grains are deficient in (legumes also have high lysine). Amaranth was grown as a grain crop in the U.S. in the late 1970s. Although grown on only a few thousand acres each year, it is a common food item in the health food section of grocery stores. The relatively high price of amaranth, while good for farmers, is a factor limiting the extent of its current use in the food marketplace. Still, the valuable characteristics of amaranth grain, combined with its adaptation to a wide range of growing areas, make it a very promising crop for the future. Back to top Plant Description Grain amaranths are very diverse and actually represent three distinct plant species: Amaranthus hypochondriacus is the type most grown in the U.S., with some A. cruentus having being grown. A. caudatus is the third type of grain species. There are over 50 species in the Amaranthus genus, with several of them being weeds in the continental U.S., a few being ornamentals, and some having forage use potential. Grain amaranths can vary from 2 to 8 feet tall, but the most commonly grown variety, Plainsman, is usually 5 to 6 feet tall in Missouri. Plainsman has a single unbranched stem, with a large mass of tiny maroon flowers clustered in an inflorescence at the top of the plant. Grain heads of Plainsman can range from 4 to 12 inches long, and from 2 to 8 inches wide. Seeds are small, about 1/25 inch. Grain amaranths vary in flower, leaf, and stem color, but maroon or crimson coloring is common in all three plant parts. Some varieties have green flowers, and some are more golden. Some of the deep crimson varieties can be very striking when in full bloom. A few small clusters of flowers may occur at the first few leaf axils below the head. While amaranth is regarded to be drought tolerant, the mechanism of its drought tolerance is not well understood. One trait that helps it in extremely dry conditions is an ability to wilt temporarily, then bounce back after a rainfall occurs. Back to top Utilization The amaranth species as a group is used for a wide variety of purposes. Although the crop is used exclusively for seed production in the U.S., in other regions of the world there are many other uses. In Africa and the Caribbean, amaranth is commonly eaten as a pot herb, with individual leaves picked off the plants periodically. Farmers in China are reportedly growing over 100,000 acres of amaranth as a forage for hogs. Many amaranths have become popular ornamental plants. Thomas Jefferson is believed to have planted them along his garden paths at Monticello. As a food crop, amaranth not only has high protein, but high fiber as well. There may also be dietary benefits from the relatively high levels of tocotrienols in the seed. The seeds have some desirable functional characteristics, having been processed in popped, flaked, extruded, and ground flour forms. Since the food uses are similar to such cereal grain grasses as wheat and oats, amaranth is sometimes called a pseudocereal. Most of the amaranth in U.S. food products starts as a ground flour that is blended with wheat or other flours to make cereals, crackers, cookies, bread or other baked products. Most commercial products use amaranth as a minor portion of the ingredients, even if the product is touted as an amaranth product, such as "amaranth" breakfast cereal, which may be only 10 to 20% amaranth. Utilization studies have shown amaranth can often be blended at 50% or even 75% levels with other flours in baked products without affecting functional properties or taste. Amaranth has certain seed components with potentially high value uses. It has a relatively high fraction of squalene in its seed oil, which sells for thousands of dollars a pound; whether the squalene can be economically extracted has yet to be determined. The anthocyanin (reddish) pigments in amaranth flours and vegetation appear to have great potential for competing with sugar beets as a source of natural, non-toxic red dyes. Perhaps most intriguing is the microcrystalline starch in amaranth seed, which is about one-tenth the size of corn starch particles. The small size of the starch can be of value in both food and industrial uses. A traditional use of amaranth in Mexico and other countries is to mix popped amaranth with a sweet, sticky foodstuff, such as molasses or honey, to make a type of snack bar or snack cake (not unlike a granola bar or Rice Krispy bar). The whole seed is sometimes used in a type of porridge, or as a condiment on other foods. The ground flour is made into a variety of baked breads. Back to top Markets and Economics If the market demand for amaranth were larger, there would be thousands of farmers growing it at its current price. It is very easy to show on paper how to make a profit growing amaranth, but much harder to market a large quantity of seed into the small but growing health food market. Amaranth grown conventionally brings around $0.40 per pound, while organic amaranth may sell for $0.65 per pound or more. Since amaranth in Missouri can routinely yield 1000 pounds per acre, and sometimes double that, amaranth gross returns easily beat commodity crops. Production costs are about the same as sorghum and soybeans, and may be less. Seed cleaning is somewhat of an extra expense, but the big cost is transportation to market. None of the main amaranth buyers have delivery points in Missouri – it all has to be trucked out of state. The three main buyers of amaranth grain in the U.S. are Arrowhead Mills (Texas), Health Valley (California) and Nu-World Amaranth (Chicago, Illinois). Larger companies that use amaranth in their food products, such as Pepperidge Farm, usually obtain their amaranth from one of the above three companies. Arrowhead Mills and Health Valley both sell processed foods with amaranth into the retail marketplace, and Arrowhead Mills sells the whole seed and bags of amaranth flour as well. Call the Jefferson Institute at 573-449-3518 for current marketing information. Rather than selling all their amaranth on a bulk basis to one of the companies above, some farmers in the Midwest and Great Plains have developed their own direct marketing. Some sell amaranth to local bakeries, while others have built up a mailing list of individuals who buy amaranth in small quantities for their own food use. Many of the individuals who use substantial quantities of amaranth are allergic to wheat, but find that they can substitute amaranth for wheat without an allergic reaction, since amaranth is gluten-free. Back to top How to Grow Grain Amaranth Despite its small seed, amaranth can be grown with conventional grain crop equipment. It is a crop adapted to a variety of soil types, but will do best on fertile, well-drained soils. Production practices, in terms of time of planting and harvest, and level of inputs, are similar to sorghum. Amaranth can work well as a double crop after wheat or canola in southeastern Missouri. Double crop trials in central Missouri showed that amaranth planted after winter wheat or canola would reach maturity in time, but yields were about half to two-thirds that of amaranth planted earlier. Amaranth should be placed into at least a two year rotation with another crop; it works well in rotation with corn and soybeans. Varieties and Seed Selection The improved varieties of grain amaranth used in the U.S. was developed at the Rodale Research Center in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. Initially, many farmers grew one of the shorter, earliest maturing Rodale lines, called K432. In recent years, most farmers have switched to Plainsman, a release of the University of Nebraska Experiment Station, which is a selection of Rodale’s K343. Plainsman is recommended for Missouri farmers and is available from certified seed growers in Nebraska, usch as Phil Sanders (308-377-2231). Smaller quantities of Plainsman can be obtained from Johnny’s Selected Seed in Maine (phone 207-437-4301). Contact the Jefferson Institute (573-449-3518) for more information on seed sources, including Missouri sources. Back to top Planting The small seeds of amaranth produce seedlings that are tiny and somewhat fragile in comparison to crops such as corn, wheat and soybeans. Amaranth seedlings can easily be blocked from emergence by a thin crust on the soil formed after a rain. Selecting soils that are lower in clay, and managing the seedbed to minimize chance of crusting, can help insure getting good stands. On the positive side, planting just 2 pounds of seed per acre, the recommended rate, produces so many seedlings, that a large number can be lost with plenty left over for an adequate stand. Amaranth is somewhat unique in the wide range of seeding rates it can be planted at without impacting yields. Field studies in Missouri showed that amaranth yields were fairly constant across a range of 1/4 to 4 pounds of planted seed per acre. Amaranth can also be planted over a fairly wide range of planting dates in Missouri. The optimum time is early June, but it can be planted with little yield difference from the second week in May until mid-June. After mid-June, yields start to drop off. When planted early, amaranth will start flowering after it has accumulated enough growth and heat units; when planted later, flowering is triggered by photoperiod (day length). Amaranth should be planted about 1/2 inch deep. Row widths of 30 inches have been the standard with amaranth trials in Missouri. The crop shades the ground well at this row spacing, and the wide rows allow a row crop cultivator to be used for weed control. This is important given the lack of labeled herbicides for amaranth. A Missouri study comparing 7.5, 15 and 30 inch row spacings found that the wider rows also gave the highest yields. Amaranth plants seem to compete excessively with each other when planted in the narrower spacings, leading to shorter, less vigorous plants and smaller grain heads. A variety of planters have been successfully used with amaranth. Some farmers with row crop planters will put the amaranth into the insecticide box rather than the main seed box, running a tube down between the double disk openers to deliver the seed. Grain drills have been used by stopping the appropriate number of seed holes to get the desired row width. Vegetable planters can be used with a celery plate. Sometimes it is helpful to leave the soil a little loose over the amaranth seed, to help prevent crusting problems. No-till planting has been done in Missouri test plots, but insects eating seedlings were a problem; an organic insecticide should be at hand to spray if control is needed during no-till establishment. Back to top Fertility Amaranth does not have a high nitrogen demand like corn, but yields are responsive to good nitrogen fertility. If fertilizer nitrogen is used, rates should be moderate, around 40 to 80 pounds per acre, with the lower figure used following soybeans or other legumes. Using a leguminous cover crop such as hairy vetch or one of the clovers can provide adequate organic nitrogen for amaranth, or animal manure can be used. Amaranth can be planted late enough that legume covers can even be spring planted around April 1, allowing them to grow 8-10 weeks before killing them. To get full benefit from the nitrogen in the residue of a cover crop, it is best to incorporate it into the soil prior to planting the amaranth. Phosphorous and potassium can be applied at soil test recommended levels for sorghum; some soils may not need P or K prior to amaranth planting. Amaranth response to pH has not been studied, but it seems to tolerate pH levels down to at least 5.6. Back to top Pest Management Weeds No herbicides are labeled for amaranth. Although cover crops and no-till planting can help prevent weed seeds from starting, amaranth seedlings grow slowly the first few weeks and are easily overtaken by early weeds. Therefore, the recommended approach is to plan on using a row crop cultivator for weed control, even if the crop is no-till planted into residue. Multiple passes of preplant tillage, one to sprout the weeds, and another a week or so later to kill the weed sprouts, is recommended. Ridge till is an effective conservation tillage approach that can work well with amaranth. Once amaranth gets to be 6 to 10 inches tall, it will begin growing rapidly, and can shade out and outcompete late emerging weeds. Insects A lot of insects like chewing on amaranth, but amaranth can tolerate a substantial amount of leaf feeding without having yield loss. Blister beetles and alfalfa webworm are the only two leaf feeders that have caused economic yield loss in Missouri so far, and may need to be treated if occurring in more than isolated patches. There are no synthetic insecticides labeled for amaranth, but various organic insecticides can be used, including certain pyrethrin and Bt products. Tarnished plant bug (Lygus) is often the worst insect pest on amaranth, but pyrethrins can help control it. This brown, lady-bug sized sucking insect routinely shows up in amaranth grain heads, attacking flowers and seeds. Its damage is not always readily apparent, but it can cause substantial yield losses, both by preventing flowers from developing into seeds, and by reducing seed weight. Diseases Amaranth does get fungal diseases, some of which can be significant, but no fungicides are labeled. In wet soils, seedlings may die from soil pathogens causing "damping off." Various root and stem rots can contribute to lodging late in the season if soils are wet in August. No viruses have been noted on amaranth, and no serious bacterial diseases have been seen. Back to top Harvest and Storage Timing of harvest is not as straightforward as with the commodity crops. In northern states, amaranth growers usually wait to harvest until about a week after the first hard frost, letting the frost completely kill the plant and make the crop drier for harvesting. In Missouri, Plainsman amaranth, the most common variety, will almost always drop its leaves prior to frost, usually by early or mid-October. Waiting for the crop to dry in the field must be balanced against getting it combined before pre-harvest losses from lodging or seed shatter occur. If the ground is saturated from rain and a strong wind occurs late in the season, amaranth roots may partially give way and the plant will end up leaning, making harvest more difficult. Stalk breakage is less likely, but has happened occasionally. Amaranth seeds may also start to shatter and fall to the ground if the crop is left standing too long, particularly after a frost has occurred. Amaranth should be direct combined using a platform (all crop) grain head. Reels are usually adjusted to minimize seed shatter by raising them high or removing some of the bats. Because the seed is small and light, air speeds must be low, and cylinder speed must be turned down. One farmer recommends a cylinder speed of 570 rpm, a fan speed of 500 rpm, and a concave setting of 3/4 inch. Other farmers have run the cylinder speeds at even lower settings to better preserve seed quality. The lower screen or sieve must be adjusted to effectively screen out the amaranth seeds. Some farmers put in a wire mesh over the lower sieve to help screen out the chaff. A reasonable approach when adjusting the combine settings is err on the side of including excessive flower parts in with the seed, rather than blowing too much seed out the back of the combine. If the harvested seed has a lot of trash in it, cleaning and drying of the grain should begin immediately. Cleaning the grain is important to get full value, since the crop is used for food purposes. Grain should be stored at about 10-12%. Note: More details on amaranth production methods, including planting and harvesting tips based on direct farmer experience, can be found in the "1999 Amaranth Production Manual," published by University of Nebraska Extension Service (call the Jefferson Institute, 573-449-3518, to get a copy or obtain ordering information). To become a member of the Amaranth Institute, download and print the membership form. Back to top Home | Crops | Publications | News | Educational Farm About Thomas Jefferson Agricultural Institute 601 West Nifong Blvd. Suite 1D Columbia, MO 65203 573-449-3518 info@jeffersoninstitute.org

[tacmotusn]

Amaranth: a Healthy Grain for Vegetarian Recipes

by Karen Railey
Author of the popular "How to" guide, How to Improve Fading Memory and Thinking Skills with Nutrition.

Amaranth (Amaranthus) has a colorful history, is highly nutritious, and the plant itself is extremely attractive and useful. Amaranth was a staple in the diets of pre-Columbian Aztecs, who believed it had supernatural powers and incorporated it into their religious ceremonies. Before the Spanish conquest in 1519, amaranth was associated with human sacrifice and the Aztec women made a mixture of ground amaranth seed, honey or human blood then shaped this mixture into idols that were eaten ceremoniously. This practice appalled the conquistadors who reasoned that eliminating the amaranth would also eliminate the sacrifices. The grain was forbidden by the Spanish, and consequently fell into obscurity for hundreds of years. If not for the fact that the cultivation of amaranth continued in a few remote areas of the Andes and Mexico, it may have become extinct and completely lost to us.
Amaranth is used in various cultures in some very interesting ways. In Mexico it is popped and mixed with a sugar solution to make a confection called "alegria" (happiness), and milled and roasted amaranth seed is used to create a traditional Mexican drink called "atole."
Peruvians use fermented amaranth seed to make "chicha" or beer. In the Cusco area the flowers are used to treat toothache and fevers and as a food colorant for maize and quinoa. During the carnival festival women dancers often use the red amaranth flower as rouge, painting their cheeks, then dancing while carrying bundles of amaranth on their backs as they would a baby.
In both Mexico and Peru the amaranth leaves are gathered then used as a vegetable either boiled or fried. In India amaranth is known as "rajeera" (the King’s grain) and is popped then used in confections called "laddoos," which are similar to Mexican "alegria."
In Nepal, amaranth seeds are eaten as gruel called "sattoo" or milled into flour to make chappatis. In Ecuador, the flowers are boiled then the colored boiling water is added to "aquardeinte" rum to create a drink that "purifies the blood," and is also reputed to help regulate the menstrual cycle.
Since 1975 amaranth has been gaining support in the U.S. and is now grown in Colorado, Illinois, Nebraska, and other states, but is still not a mainstream food. It is found in many natural food stores and the flour is often used in baked goods.
The name amaranth hails from the Greek for "never-fading flower." The plant is an annual herb, not a "true" grain and is a relative of pigweed, a common wild plant also known as lamb’s-quarters, as well as the garden plant we know as Cockscomb. There are approximately 60 species of amaranth and there is no definite distinction between amaranth grown for the leaf (vegetable), and the seed (grain).
Amaranth is a bushy plant that grows 5 to 7 feet, with broad leaves and a showy flower head of small, red or magenta, clover like flowers which are profuse, and constitute the plants exquisite, feathery plumes. The seed heads resemble corn tassels, but are somewhat bushier. They are quite striking as well. The seeds are tiny (1/32"), lens shaped, and are a golden to creamy tan color, sprinkled with some occasional dark colored seeds.
Each plant is capable of producing 40,000 to 60,000 seeds. The leaves of ornamental varieties, such as Joseph’s Coat resemble the coleus plant and are quite striking. Their coloring can range from deep red, purple-red, orange, pink, green, to white. The sight of a full-grown amaranth field with its vividly colored leaves, stems and flower or seed heads is an amazingly beautiful sight that evokes much emotion.
Aside from amaranth being such an attractive plant it is extremely adaptable to adverse growing conditions. It resists heat and drought, has no major disease problems, and is among the easiest of plants to grow. Simply scratching the soil, throwing down some seeds, and watering will reward you with some of these lovely plants.
Amaranth can be cooked as a cereal, ground into flour, popped like popcorn, sprouted, or toasted. The seeds can be cooked with other whole grains, added to stir-fry or to soups and stews as a nutrient dense thickening agent.
Amaranth flour is used in making pastas and baked goods. It must be mixed with other flours for baking yeast breads, as it contains no gluten. One part amaranth flour to 3-4 parts wheat or other grain flours may be used. In the preparation of flatbreads, pancakes and pastas, 100% amaranth flour can be used. Sprouting the seeds will increase the level of some of the nutrients and the sprouts can be used on sandwiches and in salads, or just to munch on.
To cook amaranth boil 1 cup seeds in 2-1/2 cups liquid such as water or half water and half stock or apple juice until seeds are tender, about 18 to 20 minutes. Adding some fresh herbs or gingerroot to the cooking liquid can add interesting flavors or mix with beans for a main dish. For a breakfast cereal increase the cooking liquid to 3 cups and sweeten with Stevia, honey or brown rice syrup and add raisins, dried fruit, allspice and some nuts.
Amaranth has a "sticky" texture that contrasts with the fluffier texture of most grains and care should be taken not to overcook it as it can become "gummy." Amaranth flavor is mild, sweet, nutty, and malt like, with a variance in flavor according to the variety being used.
Amaranth keeps best if stored in a tightly sealed container, such as a glass jar, in the refrigerator. This will protect the fatty acids it contains from becoming rancid. The seeds should be used within 3 to 6 months.
The leaves of the amaranth plant taste much like spinach and are used in the same manner that spinach is used. They are best if consumed when the plant is young and tender.
Amaranth seed is high in protein (15-18%) and contains respectable amounts of lysine and methionine, two essential amino acids that are not frequently found in grains. It is high in fiber and contains calcium, iron, potassium, phosphorus, and vitamins A and C.
The fiber content of amaranth is three times that of wheat and its iron content, five times more than wheat. It contains two times more calcium than milk. Using amaranth in combination with wheat, corn or brown rice results in a complete protein as high in food value as fish, red meat or poultry.
Amaranth also contains tocotrienols (a form of vitamin E) which have cholesterol-lowering activity in humans. Cooked amaranth is 90% digestible and because of this ease of digestion, it has traditionally been given to those recovering from an illness or ending a fasting period. Amaranth consists of 6-10% oil, which is found mostly within the germ. The oil is predominantly unsaturated and is high in linoleic acid, which is important in human nutrition.
The amaranth seeds have a unique quality in that the nutrients are concentrated in a natural "nutrient ring" that surrounds the center, which is the starch section. For this reason the nutrients are protected during processing. The amaranth leaf is nutritious as well containing higher calcium, iron, and phosphorus levels than spinach.
For something new, different, and highly nutritious in your diet, try amaranth and have some fun experimenting and discovering your favorite ways to use it. If you would like to learn more about whole grains and their uses, you may wish to try one of these books. They are available at Amazon and can be purchased through Health and Beyond Online by simply clicking on the title.
Complete Whole Grain Cookbook, Aveline Kushi
All American Waves of Grain: How to Buy, Store, and Cook Every Imaginable Grain, Barbara Grunes
Amazing Grains: Creating Main Dishes With Whole Grains, Joanne Saltzman
Amaranth with Spinach Tomato Mushroom Sauce
1 cup amaranth seed
2-12 cups water
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 bunch spinach (or young amaranth leaves if available)
2 ripe tomatoes, skinned and coarsely chopped
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
1-1/2 teaspoons basil
1-1/2 teaspoons oregano
1 clove of garlic minced
1 Tablespoon onion, minced
Sea salt and pepper to taste (or use a salt substitute)
Add amaranth to boiling water, bring back to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 18-20 minutes.
While amaranth is cooking, stem and wash spinach, then simmer until tender. Dip tomatoes into boiling water to loosen skin, then peel and chop. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat and add garlic an onion. Sauté approximately 2 minutes. Add tomato, mushrooms, basil, oregano, salt, pepper and 1 Tablespoon of water. Drain and chop spinach and add to tomato mixture. Cook an addition 10 – 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Lightly mash tomato as it is cooking.
Stir the sauce into the amaranth or spoon it on top.
Amaranth "Grits"
1 cup amaranth
1 clove garlic, finely chopped or pressed
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cups water or vegetable stock
Sea salt or soy sauce to taste
Hot sauce to taste
Garnish: 2 plum tomatoes
Combine the amaranth, garlic, onion, and stock in a 2-quart saucepan. Boil; reduce heat and simmer covered until most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 20 minutes.
Stir well. If the mixture is too thin or the amaranth not quite tender (it should be crunchy, but not gritty hard), boil gently while stirring constantly until thickened, about 30 seconds. Add salt or soy sauce to taste.
Stir in a few drops of hot sauce, if desired, and garnish with chopped tomatoes.

Chet's Comments Karen Railey, the author of the article you just read, writes some of the best and most detailed articles and "How to" guides in the Natural Health Movement. If you liked the article of Karen's you just read, click here to learn about her: How to Improve Fading Memory and Declining Thinking Skills with Nutrition

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[ISplatU]

I am new here and, I have been reserching Amaranth for the last three weeks, because of your resurection of the thread in Back to Basics. It is the first I have heard of Amaranth, but it got my interest. I just found this thread here and thought I would add my findings if it is OK with you guys.
I now have six types sprouting(well only five have sprouted so far) with three more comming in the mail.




In row 1&2 is Love-Lies-Bleeding from Underwoodgardens.com
In row 3&4 is Molten Fire from Underwoodgardens.com
In row 5&6 is Marvel Bronze from Orchardhouseheirlooms.com W/ no sprouts yet after four days.
In row 7&8 is Elephant Head from Hirts.com
In row 9&10 is Red Garnet from SustainableSeedCo.com
In row 10&11 is Russian River Merlot from SustainableSeedCo.com
Rows 1-6 planted 5/30/10 and rows 7-12 planted 6/01/10.

I also have three others comming in the mail.
Golden Giant, Red Leaf Grain, and Red leaf Calaloo all from bountifulgardens.org

This year I am going to try all of them for there leaves and seed, and pick the ones we like the best.
I am growing it in my back yard in the Foot Hills of NC. 06/02/10

Frank

[melbo]

Nice job Frank! Glad to see learned knowledge applied.

[Mountainman]

Like Melbo said, “Nice job Frank!”. Good to have you in the Amaranth group and any input and info on your progress would be great. My crop did not fair to well because of the crap weather we have been having in Oregon and I lost at least half of my plants. We had frost up until a week ago and I will have to start the ones that did not make it again. I’m on a business trip now and will post what I have learned once I get home and can look at my notes.

[Mountainman]

This is my Amaranth experiment so far. Anyone else growing it, please post how yours is going.

I am trying 6 new varieties and started 10 each of them. I went with the same varieties that Tac is trying so we can do a comparison between growing in FL and OR. The varieties are below:

Molten Fire
Joseph Coat's
Burgundy
Golden Giant
Elephant Head
Hopi Red Dye

To make a long story short, most of my initial crop did not make it through the cold weather we have been having here and I have replanted almost all of it directly into the garden.

I started mine to early for the weather conditions where I live, but since we were having spring like weather I got the itch and went ahead with it. I started them in the beginning of March in seed starter trays and had them germinate inside the house. They came up fast and grew quick, but only got to a height of 2-3 inches and then stayed there for the first few weeks.

Thinking that they might need real sunlight and not just the light coming through the window, I put them outside in an unheated greenhouse. They were in there for a month with little additional growth. I figured that even though they were getting sunlight, it must be the change from 70 degrees all the time (indoors) to the 85 to 30 degree swings (greenhouse) that was causing the lack of growth. I now believe that the small seed starter pots were the cause for the growth stoppage and it is hard to believe that such a small plant needs more soil to continue growth.

After around a month in the greenhouse the plants went into soil in the garden. Because of the small size and some nights getting around 30 degrees most of them did not make it. The first casualties were the Hopi Red and I replanted them 2.5 weeks ago directly into the garden. They all came up and the plants look healthier then the first ones in the starter pots, that's the reason for the starter pot growth stoppage comment above.

Will update in a month or so.