What is the proper way to harvest and prepare sunflower seeds?

Question

For human cosumption. They also have these funny looking big bugs on them.What kind of bug could it possibly be?

Answer 1

I hand my heads in the garage until they dry out completely. Then soak ad bake.
Are the bugs longer, kind of resemble a bee, beetle, and the sunflower? I have those, they don't seem to do any damage they just hand out.

Answer 2

Saving Sunflower Seeds

It's sunflower season! It's sad they are all going by, but it's an opportunity too. You can save the seeds of the large sunflowers to eat and the small, colorful ones for growing next year in your garden.

Here's how. Wait for the sunflowers to mature on the stalk. The way you can tell, is that all of the yellow flower petals have fallen off and the back of it starts to turn a yellowish brown color.

Also, when you rub the face of the sunflower, all the florets fall off. You can see the sunflower seeds underneath. Check the color of the seeds. If they are white, they aren't mature. But black ones means they are mature.

At this point you can just leave the sunflower head to mature on the stalk. However, critters such as birds and squirrels will be interested in the seeds too. To protect your sunflower, you can just put a paper bag or mesh cloth over the top and leave it there. Every few days, come out and take a look at the head and start rubbing it. When the seeds start falling out naturally, then cut it back about a foot behind the actual sunflower head, bring it into a warm garage or shed, hang it upside down, and put some kind of basket underneath it, so as the sunflower seeds start dropping, you can collect them. And then you will have them for the winter.

Answer 3

I know what not to do...I had a good crop of sunflowers a few years ago. I put them out in the sun on the picnic table to dry. I went away for the week end and the blue jays ate all of the seeds. They, and other birds can pick them clean in a short time. I have a lot this year and the wild canaries have been eating them from the plants already. I now lay them in the garage until they are dry enough to shake and scrape the seeds out onto some
flat surface where they can dry.

Answer 4

I let them grow until the heads are big and full and start to bend towards the groung.
then i cut them off the stalk and place them in a dry area.
let them dry for another week so all the flower comes of of them
take a brush, i use a paint brush and brush them back and forth.
then starting from the outside peel toward the center to get all the seed.
I place them in a brown bag and let them sit for about another week.
by then they should be ready to toast or place in your favorite bird feeder
about the bugs if they are a little green bug, they are a type of beatle, dont worry about them they will leave once you cut the head from the stem.if they rally bother you take you brush and brush back and forth, they should just brush right off.

Answer 5

Um, sunflower are my favorite seed.
I usually can get some if i get there before the birds and bugs.


Try this site, it's real easy.

Have a pleasant day.