Amaranth - The Manual of Seed Saving - page 5

HARVEST If a cloth bag has been used, it can be removed after flowering is over. Seeds ripen quickly,
so check often to see if they have begun to fall out (tap seedheads with your hand). Harvest entire
seedheads and dry on an underlay for several days in a warm, dry place. Thresh in a bag and winnow
with the wind and a fine sieve.
SELECTION CHARACTERISTICS Strains and heirloom varieties of amaranth differentiate themselves
in flavor, form, and other traits, coming as they do from various countries of origin. Many grain amar-
anths have flower heads with colors ranging from white to yellow to red, though they all develop seeds
of the same color. Possible selection criteria for grain amaranth:
• early ripening
• synchronous ripening
• seed that holds to the plant well
• uniformity in growth, form
• stability
Possible selection criteria for vegetable amaranth:
• healthy, juicy leaves
• long harvesting period before flowering
DISEASES AND PESTS No problems have been observed at Arche Noah. In climates with a shorter
growing season, it can be a challenge to get amaranth seed to ripen completely; try using short-season
varieties.
CULTIVATION HISTORY The various species have cultivation histories as varied as their places of ori-
gins and eras of domestication. Amaranths from the Andes were domesticated thousands of years ago,
and for many indigenous peoples, amaranth was the most important grain crop. Because of its high
concentration of the essential amino acid lysine, amaranth is the ideal complement to corn (maize). In-
vading Spaniards were astonished by the vigor of aboriginal Central and South Americans; they
learned that the natives ate of a fruit that was “no larger than a pinhead.” In order to break the Indians
once and for all, they sought to rid the world of this “devilish plant.” And so it came to be that corn,
beans, and potatoes all found their way into the Western diet—but amaranth was all but forgotten.
Amaranth is one of the most important vegetables in southeast Asia and has been grown in China
for thousands of years. In Europe, the classic amaranth, Amaranthus lividus , has also been cultivated
for millennia; the Greek botanist Theophrast reported the vegetable being grown in the 3rd century BC .
Another species with a long tradition in Europe is A. tricolor , which was still a popular crop plant in
many European countries at the end of the 19th century. Amaranth was also on the list of plants grown
on Charlemagne's estates.