How to Roast Sunflower Seeds

Sunflower seed is a super easy and fun crop to grow! And it couldn’t be easier to roast the raw seeds once you’ve harvested them. Homegrown roasted sunflower seeds make a great gift from the garden and it’s a fun gardening project, especially for kids. Here’s how to turn plain old raw sunflower seeds into a super tasty snack.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Raw sunflower seeds (unshelled)
• Large bowl
• 2 Quarts Water
• 1/4 Cup Salt
• Rimmed baking sheet
• Vegetable or canola oil (optional)
• Seasoning (optional)

1. Pour the raw, unshelled sunflower seeds into a colander and rinse them thoroughly. Stir 1/4 cup of salt into two quarts of water until dissolved. Add the seeds to the salted water, making sure the water completely covers the seeds. Allow the seeds to soak for 24 hours.

2. Drain and rinse the seeds and then pat them dry with a clean dish towel. Spread them out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet or jellyroll pan.

3. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F. Roast the seeds for 30 minutes, stirring them every 10 minutes. When the seeds are completely roasted, take the tray out of the oven and allow it to cool on a wire rack.

4. To add a flavoring to the roasted seeds, toss them in a bit of vegetable or canola oil (start with one half teaspoon of oil per two cups of seed) and then sprinkle them with your favorite seasoning, such as garlic or cayenne powder. Store the seeds in a plastic container. They’ll stay fresh for several months.

Tips & Warnings

• If you prefer the roasted sunflower seeds unsalted, simply omit the salt from the soaking step.

Resources

• DigginFood

[Willi]

on 8/28/2008 Hello,

You dry the seeds first. This article explains how to grow and dry the seeds:

http://www.ehow.com/how_2204113_grow-sunflowers-seed.html

[JackLTrades]

on 8/28/2008 Should I dry them first? Or just go with them fresh?