What to do with an abundance of fresh sunflowers

[Kim[ba]]

Ok, so I grew several sunflowers this year. The strain is mamoth. The flowers have gotten 16-18" in diameter and the poor stems could not hold them up anymore until nature did it's thing and let thousands of seed droop and face the ground. Obviously these are past their prime and ready for an early harvest! Excellent! I hadn't even really thought about using the seed foranything other than growing them again next year, but I have too much seed and I need to know what you can do with this stuff? Is it just birdfood? I ate a handful and it was kinda tasty. Are there any recipes that call for massive amounds of fresh sunflowers? What else can be done with them?

I wish I could post pics, but I would have to buy a camera....I wish I could buy one in sunflower seedlol

[tipsy]

do you mean the seeds?

put em on salads?

dry them?

[herbwormwood]

collect them, salt them and dry them out and then put them in bags to give to your friends. They are expensive in the shops.

[Tigress]

I wish you could post pics of them too

Sunflowers are one of my top fave flowers

[sugarmouse]

mine too I love themWhy not dry them and use them for display?I think they look nice.and the seeds are nice 2 you can eat them yourself,raw or roasted, or mix them with margarine n anythin else suitable,roll into a ball n use to feed birds.

[herbwormwood]

good idea, if you don't want to eat them just cut the whole seed head off and hang it upside down in a bag in a dry place and then feed the birds from it in the winter!

[Risker]

I'd put them in a nut roast or use them as an ingredient for a pate or probably just eat them as a snack.

[Kim[ba]]

Thanks for all the replies. Considering the amount of seed I'm dealing with, I'd say they will be made into birdfeeders. I love hanging out in the garden watching the birds. Today a hummingbird came right up to me just buzzing away inches away from my face. It's facinating!

[paulvegan]

plant them on waste ground, roundabouts anywhere where its looks dreary to brighton it up and the birds can eat them as well then+save some for next year.

[herbwormwood]

Thanks for all the replies. Considering the amount of seed I'm dealing with, I'd say they will be made into birdfeeders. I love hanging out in the garden watching the birds. Today a hummingbird came right up to me just buzzing away inches away from my face. It's facinating!

waiy until winter tho when they are in need for food, at the moment they have plenty of worms, insects, shoots, berries, seeds etc. All they need from us now is water, which is in short supply for them.