How to Harvest Poppy Seeds

Contributor

By G. K. Bayne
eHow Contributing Writer

Article Rating: (1 Ratings)

Poppy flowers are not only beautiful to look at, but also a terrific food source. Poppy seeds are found toasted on buns, in poppy seed dressing and baked into breads and muffins. Harvesting poppy seeds is an easy task when the proper steps are taken. Freshly harvested poppy seeds can be used for a variety of purposes: They can be roasted and added to numerous dishes, ground and added to breads, and sprinkled on a number of treats.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Brown paper bags Scissors, garden shears or sharp knife Wire mesh colander

Step 1

When the poppy seed plant heads turn a grayish color at the end of the growing season, cut the heads from the stems into a paper bag. Use scissors, shears or a knife to avoid dropping the seed head to the ground and losing the seeds.
Step 2

Break apart the seed heads over a second paper bag and place the broken head in the bag also.
Step 3

Leave the paper bag open and set the bag in a well ventilated, cool area for the seeds to dry. This can take anywhere from a week to a month depending on the humidity in the area.
Step 4

Close the bag and give it several hard shakes. This will release any seeds remaining in the seed heads.
Step 5

Use a wire mesh colander to sieve the seeds. Poppy seeds are small and will fall though the mesh, but the chaff will remain in the colander.

Tips & Warnings

Poppy seeds can be roasted by placing them in a hot, dry skillet over medium high heat. Use a wooden spoon to stir constantly until the seeds are golden brown. Use a coffee or spice grinder to grind poppy seeds into flour-like consistency to add to bread or muffin recipes. Poppies are easy to grow once you have the plants established. They can be grown from seeds, transplants or cuttings from other plants. There are dozens of varieties of poppy plants. The most famous are the opium poppy and the Flanders poppy.