Štir (Amaranthus retroflexus) je vrsta skrivenosemenica iz istoimene familije (Amaranthaceae). Štir je jednogodišnja zeljasta biljka, životne forme terofita. Prirodni areal rasprostranjenja ove vrste obuhvata Severnu Ameriku. Aktivnošću čoveka štir je postao kosmopolitski naseljen, uglavnom u vidu „korova" po usevima, degradovanim prirodnim ekosistemima, napuštenim ljudskim naseljima i pored puteva. U nekim krajevima se koristi za ishranu ljudi i domaćih životinja.

"...Amarant jedan je od najstarijih varijeteta žitarica koje je čovek kultivisao. Bio je osnovna hrana Asteka i Inka. Njegovo seme bogato je belančevinama i izuzetno zdravo, a lišće mu je popularno i kao povrće i kao začin. Zrno se u vidu brašna koristi za pravljenje hleba, kolača i testenina, dok se celo upotrebljava za pripremu različitih jela, pa čak i kokica.Iako amarant kao i heljda i quinoa, po poreklu nije žitarica, sadrži mnogo onoga što imaju žitarice. Izuzetno visokim savržajem belančevina nadmašuje sve ostale žitarice. Razlog za to je esencijalna aminokiselina lizin koja se retko nalazi u biljkama. Pored toga, ima visok sadržaj gvožđa i kalcijuma, dva minerala koja često nedostaju u ishrani žena i devojčica. Porcija od 60 g barenog amaranta sadrži 80% preporučene dnevne doze kalcijuma.

Ova biljka sadrži veoma malo masnoća i kalorija i mnogo vlakana. Njeno čudesno seme, pored mnogobrojnih povoljnih učinaka za zdravlje, iznad svega ojačava nervni sistem, mozak i metabolizam. Lišće amaranta mnogi smatraju ukusnijim od spanaća, a sigurno je bogatije kalcijumom, gvožđem i fosforeom. Sadrži i značajne količine vitamina A i C. .

Kokice od amaranta:

Amaranthus retroflexus is a species of flowering plant in the Amaranthaceae family with several common names, including Red-root Amaranth, Redroot Pigweed, Red Rooted Pigweed, Common Amaranth, and common tumble weed.

True to its name, it forms a tumbleweed.It is native to the tropical Americas but it is widespread as an introduced species on most continents in a great number of habitats. This is an erect annual herb reaching a maximum height near 3 meters. The leaves are nearly 15 centimeters long on large individuals, the ones higher on the stem having a lance shape and those lower on the plant diamond or oval in shape. The plant is monoecious, with individuals bearing both male and female flowers. The inflorescence is a large, dense cluster of flowers interspersed with spiny green bracts. The fruit is a capsule less than 2 millimeters long with a "lid" which opens to reveal a tiny black seed.

Stem is erect, up to 100 cm high, single or ramified, light green to reddish, sparse at the bottom, densely leaved at the top, with short, rough hairs. Foliage leaves are ovate, long-petiolate, bluish green, alternating, with pointed end, also usually reddish underneath. Taproot penetrates to 100 cm depth. Flowers are small, inconspicuous, massed in glomerules to greenish, dense fascicles at the stalk end or twig ends. Hypsophylls are lanceolate, almost two times longer than perianths. Perianth is pentamerous, prickle-like. Inflorescence is prickly. Boll is shorter than perianth, opens across with a cover, contains one seed. Seed is 1 mm, black or black-brownish, glossy, sharp at the edges. Shoots emerge in April-May and later, flowering period begins in June, and fruiting period lasts until late autumn. Seed dormancy is 9 months. The mass of 1000 seeds is 0.4-0.5 g. One plant can produce 5000 seeds under optimal conditions. Seeds remain viable in soil for 40 years.

Distinguishing Features- It is distinguished from green pigweed by somewhat dull colour of its leaves, dense covering of short hair on upper stem, thick, coarse bristly terminal panicle with uppermost central spike

- the uppermost central spike (a) extends only a short distance above the rest of the panicle, and by two features requiring magnification to see: the sepals of each flower are broader above the middle and rounded or somewhat flattened at their tips, and its male flowers usually have 5 stamens each.

- It is distinguished from Tumble pigweed and Prostrate pigweed by its tall, erect habit of growth, its larger and broader leaves, and its flowers crowded into a thick, terminal panicle as well as in some of the lower leaf axils; from Smooth pigweed by its coarse, harsh inflorescence.

This plant is eaten as a vegetable in different places of the world. No species of genus Amaranthus are known to be poisonous, but the leaves contain oxalic acid and may contain nitrates if grown in nitrate-rich soils, so the water should be tossed after boiling.

Amaranthus retroflexus was used for a multitude of food and medicinal purposes by many Native American groups.

Tilled or cultivated soil with high fertility or humus unless weeds are pale or stunted, then fertility is lowEdible, hold erosion, all nightshades

Here are a few of their qualities:-deep root pumps for leached nutrients.-fiberise the soil, countering compaction.-hold the soil from erosion.-help bring water to the top soil.-they absorb excess salt.-rich compost material, probably the best source in the city.-provide a diverse diet to animals in the pasture.-can be used in companion planting or as a sacrificial crop.-they aid organisms in the soil through exudation.-show whether soil is poor, acidic, compacted or alkaline.-they're great in salads, teas, pipes, medicines and bouquets.

ToxicityRedroot pigweed is not known to be toxic. Both the leaves and the seed are edible.

Human Health IssuesRedroot pigweed is not an known allergen.

Species Benefits"The tender leaves can be boiled for 10-15 minutes or added to salad. The tiny black seeds make a nutritious flour".

Often Mistaken ForGreen pigweed (AMAPO), Common waterhemp (AMARU), Smooth pigweed (AMACH)

ŠTIRŠtir (Amaranthus sp.) od pamtivijeka poznata, a danas zanemarena, izuzetno vrijedna prehrambena biljka, čije je sjeme bogato esencialnim aminokiselinama, uljem sa nezasićenim masnim kiselinama i squalenom, mikroelementima (Ca, Mg, Fe, K, P), vitaminima (C, B1, A i E) i visokovrijednim vlaknima. Listovi štira sadrže 10 puta više provitamina-A od špinata!

Amarant ili štir (rumenika) jedna je od najslabije poznatih, a opet nevjerojatno zdravih namirnica. Sadrži tri puta više vlakana i pet puta više željeza od pšenice, a bogatiji je bjelančevinama od mlijeka.

Žitarica znanstvenim imenom Amaranthus retroflexus porijeklom je iz toplijih krajeva Azije, Srednje i Južne Amerike. Postoji oko šezdesetak vrsta amaranta, od kojih se mnoge uzgajaju kao žitarice ili ornamentalne biljke. Kod nas je najpoznatiji crveni amarant koji može narasti i do 3 metra visine te ima i do 90 centimetara dugačke grozdove na kojima zna biti i do 50.000 sjemenki.

Amarant se upotrebljavao u drevnoj Grčkoj te je smatran svetom biljkom. Vjerovalo se da ima posebna ljekovita svojstva, a kao simbol besmrtnosti upotrebljavan je za ukrašavanje slika bogova i grobnica. Međutim, tijekom daljnje povijesti ljudi su prestali cijeniti njegove odlike i polako je pao u zaborav.

Pored graha, kukuruza i krumpira, amarant se smatra jednom od najstarijih kultiviranih biljaka koju su upotrebljavali i stari narodi Srednje i Južne Amerike – Inke i Asteci, za pripremanje obrednih napitaka i hrane. Danas je amarant u Andama poznat kao kiwicha. Za mnoge indijanske narode amarant je bio sveta biljka, a osim nadnaravnih moći pripisivali su mu i ljekovite zasluge.

U 15. stoljeću španjolski osvajači su pokušali iskorijeniti amarant, jer su se bojali da neće moći pokoriti narode kojima je ova žitarica služila ne samo za hranu, već i za ceremonijalne svečanosti i kultne obrede. Iako su mnoga polja bila uništena, a njegov uzgoj zabranjen pod prijetnjom smrću, uzgoj amaranta je nastavljen na skrivenim i teško dostupnim visoravnima Hondurasa, Perua i Bolivije. Budući da je otporan na visoke i niske temperature, štir se uzgajao i na područjima na kojima inače ništa ne raste.

Tek u drugoj polovici 18. stoljeća je ponovno donesen je u Europu, i to kao ukrasna biljka zbog svojih lijepih crvenih grozdova. Njegov kultivirani uzgoj oživio je ponovno tek sedamdesetih godina 20. stoljeća u Meksiku. Zbog svoje hranjive vrijednosti – visokog udjela bjelančevina, ugljikohidrata, vitamina B1 i E te minerala, uz jednostavnost pri pripremi jela, amarant je danas u Meksiku moguće nabaviti na svakom uglu – pomiješan s medom, čokoladom ili rižom. Sjemenke su vrlo zasitne, a mogu se koristiti kao začin, kuhane ili pržene, pri čemu 'popuckaju' u sićušne kokice. Od kuhanih ili prženih sjemenki mogu se pripremati ukusna slana ili slatka jela.

Lišće amaranta također je ukusno i bogato vitaminima A, B6, C, folnom kiselinom te mineralima – željezom, kalcijem, magnezijem, fosforom, cinkom... Listovi amaranta mogu se pripremiti kao varivo ili kao prilog uz neko drugo jelo, a kako sami po sebi nemaju puno okusa treba ih dosta začiniti.

Suhe amarantove sjemenke se mogu samljeti u brašno za pripremanje peciva, kruha, tjestenine, kolača... Za razliku od većine žitarica, amarant ne sadrži gluten. Čak su i znanstvenici utvrdili da sjemenke amaranta predstavljaju pravi izvor energije te da sadrže puno važnih tvari za prehranu čovjeka. Amarant možete kupiti u prodavaonicama zdrave hrane.

I na kraju, po jedan slani i slatki recept s amarantom:

Amarant s umakom od rajčice, špinatom i šampinjonima

1 šalica sjemenki amaranta1 žlica maslinovog ulja½ kg špinata2 oguljene rajčice25 dkg šampinjonabosiljakorigano1 češanj češnjaka1 glavica lukasol, papar

Stavite amarant u kipuću vodu i kuhajte polupokriveno oko 20 minuta dok voda ne ispari. U drugoj posudi kratko prokuhajte špinat. Rajčice potopite u vruću vodu kako bi ih lakše ogulili te ih isijecite na kockice. Zagrijte maslinovo ulje na umjerenoj temperaturi pa dodajte luk i češnjak. Prepržite ih oko 2 minute pa dodajte nasjeckanu rajčicu i gljive, bosiljak, origano, sol, papar i malo vode. Isjeckajte špinat pa dodajte i njega. Poslužite skuhani amarant preliven umakom.

Keksi s amarantom

50 dkg pšeničnog brašna20 dkg sjemenki amaranta1 prašak za pecivo20 dkg maslaca4 žumanjka10 dkg meda3 žlice rumaSuhe sjemenke amaranta sameljite u brašno i pomiješajte s pšeničnim. Dodajte mješavini brašna prašak za pecivo, maslac, 2 žumanjka, med i rum te umiješajte glatko tijesto. Pustite da odstoji desetak minuta. Razvaljajte ga na 5 mm debljine i režite različite oblike po želji. Kekse stavite u nauljeni lim, premažite umiješanim žumanjcima i pecite 15 minuta na 180°C.

JESTE LI ZNALI-da NASA smatra da je amarant visokovrijedna namirnica s hranjivo-fiziološkog stajališta te ga daje astronautima-da su Indijanci mogli dnevno prevaliti udaljenosti od više od 40 km po planinama zahvaljujući snazi sjemena amaranta-da su kalcij i fosfor (važni za izgradnju ljudskih kostiju) u amarantu zastupljeni u skoro idealnom omjeru-da jedan kilogram amaranta sadrži skoro toliko proteina koliko i 22 jaja i 15 šalica mlijeka-da zbog njegove visoke razine željeza i cinka amarant predstavlja idealnu hranjivu bazu tijekom trudnoće

http://biovrt.com/2009/11/14/amaranthus-caudatus-lisicji-rep-scir/

Pri pogledu na ovu vrstu mnogi se sjete djetinjstva i starinskih vrtova svojih baka – ova je biljka bila obavezno prisutna u tim vrtovima. Ova vrsta amaranthusa poznata je po svom cvijetu, tj. skupini cvjetova koja podsjeća na rep, pa su joj narodni nazivi i lisičji rep, mačkov rep…Posijte ge početkom 4. mjeseca direktno ga gredice, kasnije rasadite. Niče jako uspješno, a ako nikne pregusto potrebno ga je rasaditi da bi imao prostora za rast – odrasla biljka naraste i preko jednog metara u visinu i 80 cm u širinu. Koliko će narasti – ovisi o tome kako ju odgovaraju uvjetima – može se dogoditi da vam naraste i malecka biljčica s samo jednim repom – zato preporučam rasaditi ga posvud po vrtu i promatrajte gdje mu najbolje odgovara.

Kod amaranthusa sam primjetila da ponekad repovi narastu jednostavno predugi i preteški da bi ih cijela biljka držala, tako da mi je kod većine biljaka dio “repa” na tlu, pa ga je preporučljivo u takvom slučaju i privezati na neki kolac ili sl.Cvijet amaranthusa je zapravo skupina stotine malih cvjetića. Kad završava s vegetacijom, a to kod ove vrste može biti i prije mrazeva s obzirom da jako rano na proljeće počinje cvjetati, cvjetovi počinju gubiti intenzivnu boju i počinju se sušiti.Tada je vrijeme za skupljanje sjemenki – uzmite veću posudice i stavite ispod repa, pa lagano prstima gnječite cvjetiće – sjemenke ćete tako “osloboditi” i one će popadati u posudicu. Sjeme ove vrste je roza prozirno, a može se i koristiti u prehrani – pogledajte tekst : amaranthus – biljka budućnosti.

� � A AM MA AR RA AN NT TH HU kraljevstvu Inka, Azteka i Maya, ama-ranth je bio poznat po svojim hranjivim ispiritualnim kvalitetama. Slu�io je kaoizvor vitalne snage i preporuèao se trud-nicama, djeci u razvoju i za usporavanjeprocesa starenja. Lokalni iscjelitelji koris-tili su ga kao sveto bra�no u religioznimritualima. Amaranth je ponovo otkriven prije neko-liko godina, kao �itarica pogodna zasvakodnevno konzumiranje i èija seupotreba podr�ava od strane javnihzdravstvenih ustanova.Karakteristiène odlike amarantha su viso-ki proteinski sastav, laka asimiliacija utijelu te lysin - esencijalni element zarazvoj mozga, koji je pronaðen u znatnoveæim kolièinama u amaranthu nego udrugim �itaricama. Zbog visokog sadr�aja biljnih masnoæa,biljka ima nutritivnu vrijednost �to je èiniosobito prikladnom za prehranu djece.Amaranth takoðer garantira balansiranuprehranu zahvaljujuæi mineralima kojesadr�i: kalcij, sumpor, �eljezo te vitaminiB i C. Zahvaljujuæi svojim nutritivnim vrijednos-tima, konzumiranje èak i malih kolièina jedovoljno da zadovolji glad na nekoliko satibez osjeæaja te�ine.

Nanosenje svezeg soka od listova amaranta pomaze kosi da zadrzi tamnu boju i sprecava prerano sedenje. Takodje ,sok od listova amarant podstice rast kose i utice na njenu mekocu.

Amaranth - hrana za bogove

U posljednjih se desetak godina na hrvatskom tržištu mogu pronaći namirnice koje još uvijek pomalo slove kao «egzotične» iako je njihova kvaliteta neupitna. Amaranth je jedna od njih.To što ovoj žitarici ime potječe od grčke riječi «besmrtan» već govori mnogo!

Podrijetlo

Prije 7000 godina amaranth je bio glavna namirnica na američkom kontinentu: u Kaliforniji, Arizoni i Meksiku, kao i u Boliviji, Peruu i Ekvadoru. Popularnost ove sitne žitarice pala je kada su španjolski osvajači doputovali na teritorij Novog Svijeta. Budući da se amaranth koristio u domorodačkim vjerskim ritualima (miješao se s medom i krvlju, oblikovao u figurice i jeo), razumljiva je odbojnost koju su katolički svećenici osjećali prema ovoj namirnici. Rezultat toga bila je potpuna zabrana sadnje i upotrebe amarantha. U knjizi «Cambridge World History of Food» navodi se pretpostavka da je ova zabrana vjerojatno pridonijela pothranjenosti u 16. stoljeću. No, unatoč tome, i dalje se uzgajao u zabitim dijelovima Meksika. Naposljetku, u 20. stoljeću, Crkva je morala priznati popularnost ove žitarice pa se amaranth danas koristi čak i u proizvodnji krunica!

Vrste i sastav

Postoji više vrsta amarantha. U prehrani se najčešće koriste A. hypochondriacus i A. cruentus.

Amaranth je otporan na bolesti, lako ga je uzgajati i dobro uspijeva u izrazito toploj klimi i na siromašnoj zemlji. No zbog svoje prilagodljivosti uspijeva i na vlažnim tropskim ravnicama i u planinskim područjima.

Ova je žitarica izuzetno dobar izvor proteina u prehrani vegetarijanaca (15.3g/100g), sadrži iznenađujuće količine aminokiselina, uključujući lizin i metionin. Zrno amarantha sadrži dvaput više kalcija od mlijeka (iskoristivog, naravno!), triput više vlakana od pšenice, a njegovo je lišće iznimno dobar izvor željeza. Smatra se da se redovitim konzumiranjem amarantha može smanjiti količina lošeg kolesterola u krvi budući da sadrži jedan tip vitamina E koji pospješuje njegovo snižavanje. Vrlo je lako probavljiv pa stoga dobar izvor hranjivih sastojaka za bolesne. Jedino što nas u budućnosti može odvratiti od konzumacije ove izuzetno vrijedne namirnice je to što je amaranth još uvijek gotovo nepoznat!

Okus i pripremaAmaranth je nevjerojatno sličan quinoi: okruglastog je oblika, a ima i prsten (kažu da se baš u tom «repiću» nalaze hranjivi sastojci) koji se odmota tokom kuhanja. Zrno mu je sitnije a okus blaži te ispušta sluz kada se kuha u tekućini. Može se pripremiti kao kaša, u kombinaciji sa drugim žitaricama, mljeti u brašno ili preraditi u pahuljice koje djeca posebno vole.

U Peruu se fermentirani amaranth koristi u proizvodnji specijalnog piva koje se naziva «chicha». Mlado lišće amarantha može se jesti sirovo, kuhano ili prženo. Njegovi žarko crveni cvjetovi koriste se kao boja u kuhanju, u proizvodnji šminke i u ljekovitim pripravcima.

Ukoliko ste dovoljno znatiželjni i ove su vas informacije zaintrigirale, evo par uputa za pripremu: sam se amaranth kuha 25-30 minuta u omjeru 1 šalica amarantha : 2,5-3 šalice vode, no češće se priprema u kombinaciji sa quinoom, prosom ili rižom. Ukusan je u varivima, ali oprez: kuhajte na laganoj vatri uz redovito miješanje budući da se lako lijepi za dno lonca!

Amaranth je nježan, lagan, sočan i hranjiv, lijepo se slaže sa crnim i azuki grahom, a u desertima sa zobenim mlijekom, kokosom, rogačem i sladom. Svakako istražite brojne mogućnosti koje vam nude ova mala blijedožuta zrnca. U slast!

Napisala: Dunja Gulin

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.

Several species are raised for amaranth grain in Asia and the Americas. Ancient amaranth grains still used to this day include the three species, Amaranthus caudatus, Amaranthus cruentus, and Amaranthus hypochondriacus.[6] Although amaranth was (and still is) cultivated on a small scale in parts of Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, India, and Nepal, there is potential for further cultivation in the U.S and tropical countries and it is often referred to as "the crop of the future."[7] It has been proposed as an inexpensive native crop that could be cultivated by indigenous people in rural areas for several reasons: 1) easily harvested, 2) produces a lot of fruits (and thus seeds) which are used as grain, 3) highly tolerant of arid environments which are typical of most subtropical and some tropical regions, and 4) large amounts of protein and essential amino acids, such as lysine.[8] Due to its weedy life history, amaranth grains grow very rapidly and their large seedheads can weigh up to 1 kilogram and contain a half-million seeds.[9] Amaranthus species are reported to have a 30% higher protein value than cereals, such as rice, wheat flour, oats, and rye.

Amaranth species are cultivated and consumed as a leaf vegetable in many parts of the world. There are 4 species of Amaranthus documented as cultivated vegetables in eastern Asia: Amaranthus cruentus, Amaranthus blitum, Amaranthus dubius, and Amaranthus tricolor.[11]

In Indonesia and Malaysia, leaf amaranth is called bayam, while the Tagalogs in the Philippines call the plant kulitis. In Karnataka state in India it is used to prepare Hulli. Palya, Maggigayhulli and so on. In Tamilnadu State, it is regularly consumed as a favourite dish, where the greens are steamed, and mashed, with light seasoning of salt, red chillis and cumin. It is called keerai masial. In Andhra Pradesh, India, this leaf is added in preparation of a popular dal called thotakura pappu. In China, the leaves and stems are used as a stir-fry vegetable and called yin choi ; pinyin: xiàncài; and variations on this transliteration in various dialects). In Vietnam, it is called rau dền and is used to make soup. There are two species popular as edible vegetable in Vietnam: dền đỏ- amaranthus tricolor and dền cơm or dền trắng- amaranthus viridis.

In East Africa, Amaranth leaf is known in Chewa as Bonongwe, and in Swahili as mchicha. It is sometimes recommended by some doctors for people having low red blood cell count. Also known among the Kalenjin as a drought crop (chepkerta). In West Africa such as in Nigeria, it is a common vegetable, and goes with all Nigerian carbohydrate dishes. It is known in Yoruba as efo tete or arowo jeja ("we have money left over for fish"). In Congo[clarification needed] it is known as lenga lenga or biteku teku.[12] In the Caribbean, the leaves are called callaloo and are sometimes used in a soup called pepperpot soup.

In Greece, Green Amaranth (Amaranthus viridis) is a popular dish and is called vleeta. It's boiled, then served with olive oil and lemon like a salad, usually alongside fried fish. Greeks stop harvesting the (usually wild-grown) plant when it starts to bloom at the end of August.