Black Sesame Seeds

Black sesame seeds grow beautiful plants with long slender leaves and trumpet shaped pink flowers. Flowers open from the bottom to the top of tall spires. As the blooms fade a seed pod will result containing a dozen or more seeds per pod. Let them turn brown on the plant but harvest before they split open. To collect the seeds simply hold the dried pods upside down over a bowl and give them a tap. They are primarily used in Asian cultures but gaining popularity around the world. This grain is a rich source of macrominerals (calcium and magnesium) and trace minerals such as iron, copper, and manganese. Black sesame seeds are also a good source of healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. The fresh seeds can be sprinkled onto salads, vegetables, and noodle or rice dishes. They can also be used in baking. Some people like to use them as a crunchy coating for fish. Take a look at these great recipes for ways to use the seeds.

Even if you don’t intend to use the seeds for culinary purposes these plants look beautiful growing in your flower beds. Since they can reach more than 24″ tall they make a nice backdrop to shorter plants. The pinkish purple flowers are trumpet shaped and will also attract hummingbirds and pollinators to your yard. Seeds can be sown directly in the garden but are better started 4-6 weeks indoors before your last frost and transplanted into the garden. Sow seeds about 1/4″ deep into and keep moist until they sprout. These seeds germinate quickly and usually surface within 7-10 days when the soil temperature is over 70F.

We also have red garnet Amaranth seeds, another superfood grain.