Amaranth

WHAT IS AMARANTH?

AMARANTH (Amaranthus species)
Of the more than 70 species of Amaranth worldwide, only about a dozen are commonly cultivated, either as ornamentals. It grows as annual in temperate climates and as a short lived perennial in tropical climates. Nearly all amaranths are edible, including the famous “love-lies-bleeding” ornamental as well as the common roadside weedy versions. But those sold as edible varieties are selected for their seed production and delicious leaves. Common varieties grow red, purple, or green leaves and can reach 3-8 feet tall. Amaranthus australis, also called Hemp Amaranth and Southern Amaranth can grow up to 18 feet tall.

It’s self seeding ability makes it an easy to grow tropical edible that will return year after year. This is one reason Amaranth is regarded as weed in many parts of the world. Aggressive varieties such as Palmer Amaranth can grow 2-3 inches per day and produce up 250,000 seeds per plant. Farmers in the United States know it as “pigweed” and treat it as an invasive plant in their corn, soy and cotton fields. It just keeps coming back. Unfortunately, glyphosate-resistant Palmer Amaranth populations have been reported in 26 US states due to the continuous use of glyphosate for weed control. On the other hand, many tropical regions of the world intentionally cultivate this nutritious crop.

You’ll also find Amaranth an just about every wild edible plants guide because it’s found just about everywhere and has highly nutritious leaves and seeds. Once you identify a few species, you’ll notice it in sidewalk cracks, parks and likely your own backyard. The perfect plant for drought-prone regions, amaranth has the potential to improve nutrition, food security and build more sustainable gardens and farms.

HISTORY OF AMARANTH

Amaranth has been cultivated as a food for over 8000 years. Native Americans grew Amaranth for it’s nutritious grain, often cooked in to shelf stable crackers, and for its edible leaves. The Aztec and Mayan people living in Central America used amaranth as a staple in their diets. For the Aztecs, it played an important role in their human sacrifice rituals. Spanish conquistador, Hernan Cortez witnessed the Aztecs mix amaranth grains with human blood to form little statues of Huitzilopochtli, their sun god. These bloody seed snacks were known as Tzoalli, were then eaten ceremonially during human sacrifice rituals. The similarities to Christian communion were obvious, and Cortez was not happy with this apparent mockery.

According The Guardian,

“Before the Spanish arrived in the Americas, the Aztecs and Maya cultivated amaranth as an excellent source of proteins, but also for ceremonial purposes. When Spanish conquistadors arrived on the continent in the 16th century, they threatened to cut off the hands of anyone who grew the crop, fearing that the Indigenous Americans’ spiritual connection to plants and the land might undermine Christianity.”

Amaranth however, could not be stopped. It’s prolific self seeding ability ensured that Amaranth can still be found almost everywhere from central Canada to Argentina. Though still a common food crop throughout the Caribbean and parts of Central/South America, it didn’t start showing up on shelves in North America until the 1970’s.

CULINARY USES OF AMARANTH

Edible Parts: All parts are edible, but some may have spines you should remove before eating. The young plants or the growing tips of older plants are an excellent vegetable. Simply boil the young plants or eat them raw. The most common use for Amaranth seeds is to grind them into flour to make breads, noodles, pancakes, cereals, cookies, etc. Many amaranth products are currently on the U.S. market.

Vegetable amaranth or Amaranthus tricolor is common in Florida gardens and thrives in tropical climates around the world. It’s also one of the many varieties that serve as an excellent hot weather substitute for spinach.

In Jamacia, a large leafy green variety of Amaranth is known as “Callaloo”. It’s found canned and fresh in grocery stores. Amaranth’s edible varieties are grown extensively across the Caribbean and West Indies, and is popularly used in soups and stews. (In some parts of the Caribbean, the leaves of the Taro plant also bear the name “callalloo”, so keep that in mind.) Amaranths that are considered “Callaloo” include Amaranthus spinosus used in the West Indies; Amaranthus flavus is a yellow variety used in Brazil and known as caruru; Amaranthus viridis in Jamaica ; Amaranthus tricolor in the Caribbean.

One common red and purple variety, known as Amaranthus cruentus can be found sold as an ornamental and for it’s nutritious grain. It’s one of three main Amaranthus species grown for grain production. The other two are Amaranthus hypochondriacus and Amaranthus caudatus. The spiny versions of Amaranth Amaranthus spinosus, are also valued in Thai cuisine, where it is called phak khom, and also cuisines across South and East Asia.

AMARANTH NUTRIENT CONTENT

Amaranth seeds boast an impressive nutrient resume, and like other pseudo-grains, is a protein powerhouse. At 14%, it’s protein content is double the amount found in rice and corn and contains all nine essential amino acids. Amaranth is unique in the fact that it’s packed with Manganese, essential for brain function. One serving maxes out your daily RDI.

One cup (246 grams) of cooked amaranth contains the following nutrients:

Calories: 251
Protein: 9.3 grams
Carbs: 46 grams
Fat: 5.2 grams
Manganese: 105% of the RDI
Magnesium: 40% of the RDI
Phosphorus: 36% of the RDI
Iron: 29% of the RDI
Selenium: 19% of the RDI
Copper: 18% of the RDI

Source: Nutrition Data

Nutrition content of Amaranth leaves
According to this study published by Nature, Amaranth leaves and stems are good sources of carotenoids, dietary fiber and minerals, such as magnesium, calcium, potassium, copper, phosphorus, zinc, iron, and manganese. Nutrition Data has the full nutrient breakdown of Amaranth leaves cooked and raw.

HOW TO GROW AMARANTH

As you can imagine, Amaranth is quite easy to grow. It’s small seeds are easily spread, so I suggest planting it in its own area. The wild types are weed pests in fields and gardens. Usually, the garden vegetable species do not self-seed easily enough to become serious pests following cultivation. Wild amaranth is edible but not tasty. Amaranth prefers warm weather so if you’re in a temperate climate sow seeds once temperatures normalize above 65F. If you’re in tropical climates it will grow year round as long as it gets sun and a decent amount of moisture in the soil.

Planting Amaranth
Sow seeds 5mm (¼”) deep in well drained soil in full sun. Seeds should germinate in 4 to 10 days. Thin seedlings to 25-35cm (10-14″) apart in rows 50cm (20″) apart. Ideal soil PH is a wide range of 6.5-7.5. Amaranth will not grow well in consistently damp soil, so be sure drainage is good in the chosen location. Once it’s established, it’s very drought tolerant and requires little water.

Harvesting Amaranth
Amaranth grains are usually ready to harvest within three months of planting. But you can start picking the leaves long before that. Simply cut the bottommost, older leaves first, taking care to not damage the stems of the inner leaves. If you allow at least 2/3 of the foliage to remain, the plant will produce additional yields. Harvesting the leaves will promote additional growth.
For species that produce large seed heads, simply wait for them to start turning brown, then shake them into a bag to collect the grain.