I have no idea what to do with sunflower seeds

[GinaNew York]

These are five of seven Sunzilla heads that were spectacular. They are like tree trunks and dont need staking. Now I have a table of sticky seeds. What should i do to preserve them? Should they be roasted in the oven and stored? Or how do you store them? Does anyone feed them raw to their chickens? Each head was over 13 inches.

 

[N F C]

I used to have a big garden when I lived in FL and sunflowers were part of my flower garden. The chickens loved to pull the seeds out of the flower heads!

 

[centrarchid]

Hang them from rafters in barn or shed where rodents and birds cannot reach them.

 

[RUNuts]

Just give the whole head to them. They will figure out something.

To preserve, just hang the head someplace dry with good air flow. They'd make great centerpieces if you are entertaining. Toss to the chickens when you are ready for them to feed on them.

Are you eating them yourself or for the chicks? If they are still sticky, I think they need to dry more.

 

[varidgerunner]

Saw this and catalogued it away. Neat way to shell sunflowers if you want them loose.

 

[GinaNew York]

Just give the whole head to them. They will figure out something.

To preserve, just hang the head someplace dry with good air flow. They'd make great centerpieces if you are entertaining. Toss to the chickens when you are ready for them to feed on them.

Are you eating them yourself or for the chicks? If they are still sticky, I think they need to dry more.

Ive pulled seeds off three and they fill the table. Got some ants and tweezer bugs and spiders too. So drying them is enough? I dont want to roast them and then give to the girls.

Theyll be mostly for thd chickens and seeds for next year. How would you store them loose?

 

[GinaNew York]

Just give the whole head to them. They will figure out something.

To preserve, just hang the head someplace dry with good air flow. They'd make great centerpieces if you are entertaining. Toss to the chickens when you are ready for them to feed on them.

Are you eating them yourself or for the chicks? If they are still sticky, I think they need to dry more.

 

[GinaNew York]

Each head fills a cookie tray an inch high! I didnt expect this so i want to store them without having mildew. Are the seeds in the large bags raw with DE in it i wondef?

 

[RUNuts]

You'll have to research this - google is your friend. I plan on growing some next year. Seems like the last time we did it, we stored them in the house. since you pulled them from the heads, paper bags or something that breathes is needed to store them. They are still wet. Plastic bags will mildew.

Freezing may work for the ones you aren't saving for seeds. Let us know what you find out and if it worked.

Cheers!