Harvesting & roasting sunflower seeds

The tasty payoff at the end of the season. Here's how to tell when seeds are ready, harvest them, and roast a batch at home.

When are they ready?

Watch the back of the flower head: it turns from green to yellow, then brown, the petals wither and drop, and the seeds plump up and show their stripes. When the back is brown and the seeds look full, it's time.

Harvest and dry

• Cut the head off with about 30 cm of stem attached.
• Cover the head loosely with a paper bag or netting (this catches loose seeds and keeps birds off).
• Hang it upside down somewhere warm, dry and airy for a week or two, until the seeds loosen.
• Rub the seeds out with your hand or a fork, and pick out any bits of chaff.

Roasting for eating

1. Rinse the seeds. For salted seeds, soak them overnight in heavily salted water, then drain.
2. Spread in a single layer on a baking tray.
3. Roast at about 160 °C (325 °F) for 30–40 minutes, stirring now and then, until golden and crisp.
4. Cool completely before eating. You crack the shell and eat the kernel inside (or roast pre-hulled kernels for less fuss).

Storing

Keep roasted seeds in an airtight container somewhere cool; eat within a few weeks. Raw, fully-dried seeds keep for months.