Quiunoa then and now.

[hoodat]

More and more reccipes are showing up on the internet as it gains popularity. The most popular ways seem to be cooked mixed with rice or by itself as a rice substitute. It can also be used as a hot breakfast cereal or in salads. Be sure to wash all the saponins off before you cook it or it will be bitter. They are ready when the rinse water loses the soapy look and runs clear. The sprout pops up as soon as they begin taking in water. That's why the ones you buy in the store seldom grow. They have been washed and then dried again so the sprout is ruined for planting although it doesn't affect the edibility or nutrition.

 

[baymule]

Smiles, I cook quinoa like I cook rice. It's good with gravy on it! I also use it like oatmeal, with butter, cinnamon and sugar-mmmmmm......... I have put it in bread and rolls too.

 

[Smiles Jr.]

A few more questions . . .

How hard is it to wash off the saponins? Is saponin water soluble?
If you get the Quinoa clean does it have a distinctive taste? Will it always flavor the food?
Can the quinoa be stored for long periods? Any storage prep necessary?
Can it be fed to the rabbits? If yes, do they tolerate the saponins or does it need to be washed for them also?

It would be great to grow a field of crop for humans as well as for the rabbits.

 

[hoodat]

The saponins wash off easily just by running cool water over them in a strainer or soaking them in several rinses in a container. It's best not to wash them before storing since the function of the saponins are to protect the seeds from insects. Birds also will not eat them in the garden. I suspect that without the saponins birds would strip the stalks before you could harvest them. They would be excellent rabbit food except that they are pretty fine for rabbits to chew on. They prefer larger grains they can get their teeth into. They are an excellent source of protein for any animal who will eat them. Some people cook them and feed them to both rabbits and chickens in that form but once again they must be washed before cooking or they will not be eaten. The saponins aren't poisonous. They just make them too bitter to eat.
The taste is distinctive but subtle so they won't overpower any food they are cooked with. Some describe the taste as nutty but it's one of those foods you just have to taste to see if you like it. It is said by nutritionists to be one of the most complete and healthiest foods to be found, containing a high protein with every one of the known amino acids to digest it along with a high dose of anti-oxidants.

 

[vfem]

That is so exciting!

I still want to grow it as well.... but one adventure at a time.

 

[hoodat]

It doesn't take much space to grow them. They are vertical with no sprawl. My little experimental plot is only 6 feet by 6 feet but it looks as though I will harvest several pounds of seed. I've been reading up on them and found they will grow in soil that has too much salt to grow almost anything else. They can even take being watered with brackish water.

 

[Naughty]

I am excited to read this.... I have some quinoa for my front garden and some amaranth....pretty and edible....can't beat that...have you tried any of the greens?

 

[hoodat]

I nibbled on a few leaves and they tasted good but I wanted to pretty much let them be and see what they do on their own. The results have been excellent so far.

 

[Naughty]

I put mine in today!