All About Amaranth
The field is full of amaranth varieties right now. The color, the height, the sheer presence of the plant make it the obvious centerpiece of a red-themed farm. Beyond the visual, it earns its place. Amaranth is one of the most nutrient-dense plants we grow.
We are past the tender leaf stage of the season and into peak seeding and seed saving. We let the plants go to seed on purpose. As they mature, the spent leaves and stalks return organic matter to the soil, and the deep taproots help break up compacted soil and improve water movement. Letting it stand a little wild is part of how we keep the soil alive between plantings.
The leaves carry more vitamin K than almost any other leafy green, along with high levels of vitamin C, iron, and calcium, the kind of nutrients that support strong bones, clear skin, and steady energy. The seed is a complete protein with lysine, an amino acid most grains skip entirely, and it carries antioxidants that help the body fight everyday wear and tear. Eat the leaves for the vitamins. Eat the seed for the protein. Either way, you are getting more out of this plant than its color alone lets on.
We just cleared fifty feet of it to make room for crops that were getting shaded out. Do not worry. Amaranth drops thousands of seeds per plant, so it will be back before you know it.
Here is what to do with it once you get your hands on some.
Leaves
Young and tender
Raw in salads or blended into a green smoothie. Mild, slightly nutty, similar to spinach.
Mature leaves
Sauteed, steamed, or braised like chard or beet greens. High in vitamin K, vitamin C, iron, and calcium, with more potassium than spinach.
Flowers
Young flower buds
Edible and mild before they mature. Toss into a stir fry or steam alongside the leaves.
Mature seed heads
Not for eating once bushy and dry, but stunning dried for arrangements and a good visual marker that seed is ready to harvest.
Stalk
Young, tender stalk
Peel and cook like asparagus when the plant is still young.
Seed
Dried and threshed
Cook like a grain, pop like popcorn, or grind into a gluten free flour. High in protein and a complete source of lysine, an amino acid most grains lack.
In the ground
Soil builder
Deep roots aerate compacted soil. Dropped leaves and spent stalks add organic matter back into the bed.
Living groundcover
Tolerates heat and drought better than most crops, holding the soil and shading it when other plants cannot.
Self-seeding
Drops far more seed than it needs, which means it returns season after season with little intervention from us.
Get more familiar with it. Eat the leaves, dry the flowers, save the seed, and let the rest feed the bed it grew in. It is worth the time.
Get Redy.
