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NEWS |
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A Flower to Brighten the Year Excerpt from February 2002 newsletter Patsy Flanigan
If you were to design the perfect flower, what would you ask of it? First, I think you would want it to be beautiful. Then fast growing comes to mind, and maybe you would like it to be large and dramatic. In addition to all that, you could ask that it produce a wonderful food product with a very healthy nutrition profile. You get the drift. The sunflower meets all those specifications. No wonder that the sunflower and its seeds are loved the world over. American Indians were cultivating the sunflower when the Spanish explorers arrived on this continent. They were then taken back to Europe and their popularity quickly spread. Sunflower bread has long been a favorite in Europe.
Today we know that the kernels are not only delicious, they are an excellent source of polyunsaturated fat. They also have some monounsaturated fat. These are the kinds of fat that have been shown to be heart healthy. Studies have shown that, especially in weight- loss diets, fat is an important part of the nutrition. Without it, a person is never quite satisfied no matter how much they eat. Sunflowers are so easy and fun to grow that they are an important part of a school garden.
In fact sunflower "volunteers" often come up in our backyards, planted by birds. The resulting kernels from these volunteers will not be the same as you expect to find when you buy a package of sunflower seeds.
Commercial sunflower seed is carefully inspected, sized and any foreign matter removed before it can be packaged for sale. Certain varieties are grown specifically for their oil while others are considered "confectionery". Under sized kernels are saved for the birds.
Another attractive aspect of the sunflower seed is that it is relatively inexpensive. It can be used in many recipes that call for nuts. How perfect is that? |
