How to Use Seeds From the Garden

Gardens produce more than juicy vegetables or sweet smelling flowers. The seeds from garden produce have a number of uses around the home. Learn to look at that extra produce and resulting seeds in a different light.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Seeds

1. Allow plants to go to seed for self-starting vegetables next year. Cherry tomatoes and squash or gourds spring forth new plants in the next growing season. Chard or parsley does well over winter and returns in spring underneath the mulch.
2. Use the pumpkin seeds from the Halloween harvest to make a tasty treat of dried pumpkin seeds. Clean as much pulp from the seeds as possible, sprinkle with salt or other desired seasonings (cayenne or cinnamon) and place on a cookie sheet to dry slowly in the oven. Store in sealed containers for a healthy snack.
3. Collect the seeds of peppers, squash, tomatoes, marigolds, dill, sunflowers and beans to dry in the sun and use for planting next year's crop. Do not collect the seeds from a hybrid plant variety; they will not grow.
4. Harvest a variety of seeds and use the dried seeds to do art projects with the kids. Glue the dried seeds onto picture frames or vases for decoration, fill glass bottles with colorful seeds or make seed necklaces.
5. Sprout bean seeds as part of a science lesson on botany for the kids. Count and sort seeds to review math concepts. Categorize the seeds to emphasize proper identification skills.
6. Place dried cayenne pepper seeds in a glass jar and use as a condiment. Sprinkle on pizza, salads or other dishes.
7. Use poppy seeds to make muffins or coffeecake. Other seeds like coriander and dill are used to flavor breads, meats or ethnic dishes.
8. Blend a bird food mix with dried sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and small flower seeds. Keep in an airtight container and feed the birds daily.

Tips & Warnings

• Be sure to share your extra garden seeds with fellow gardeners.

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