Left to right is Red Amaranth, Wild Amaranth and Green Amaranth. I planted red and green amaranth in this spot last year but as they’re annuals they died in the winter. These all grew from seeds that overwintered from last years plants. The red and green would be taller but they’ve had their tops chopped off for dinner on two occasions. I make sure there are a few leaves left on the plant and they just come right back.
Red Wild and Green Amaranth
In the background the huge leaves are sunflowers and the plant with small white flowers right behind the amaranth is … no idea (if ya do then leave me the name in the comments please thanks.)
Wild amaranths are considered a weed by many, but all amaranths are edible and nutritious. I’m not sure what type of wild amaranth this is, as there are over 20 varieties in Texas alone. Leaves, stems and the seeds of all amaranths are edible. I’ve read the roots are also eaten but I haven’t found a recipe. While not a true grain amaranth seeds have been used as a pseudograin for thousands of years. It was a major crop for the Aztecs, Mayans and Incas. Some estimates date cultivation of amaranth back 8000 years in Central America. Amaranth grain is higher in protein then wheat, rice or corn. It’s also a good source of iron, magnesium, manganese and phosphorus. If you’re interested in the nutritional value of amaranth a quick trip to Google will give you all the information you need, as amaranth flour is sold in many health food stores.
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When preparing amaranth there are two things to consider. The leaves are high in oxalic acid in levels comparable to spinach. Amaranth has 1.09% oxalic acid by weight. Spinach has .97% oxalic acid by weight. Also, over fertilized amaranth can accumulate dangerous levels of nitrogen. I believe this can be an issue with other leafy greens as well. I’ve read a few mentions that chemical fertilizers should never be used on amaranth. You can get rid of a good bit of the nitrogen by boiling in water for a few minutes and then discarding the water.
I’ve seen the Red Amaranth grown around here as an ornamental (it’s where I got my red amaranth seeds) but I don’t know anyone else growing amaranth as a vegetable. It’s too bad because it’s a great plant for our climate. It’s super heat and drought resistant and has very low fertility requirements. When all other greens are dying from the heat amaranth keeps going. Ours is by the street, a few feet from black asphalt and pretty much untended. We’ve already had a few 100 degrees days and I don’t remember the last time it was watered. From planting seed to harvesting greens can be as little as 3 or 4 weeks. Obviously, to harvest the seeds will take longer. Bugs do mess with it a bit; mostly I’ve noticed a few grasshoppers but nothing major.
Amaranth is a warm season plant so wait till after the last frost date and the soil has started to warm up. The seeds are tiny as poppy seeds so I just sow them on the surface and barely rake the soil. Another way is to sow the seeds on the surface and then cover with 1/2″ of compost or soil. The distance between plants will largely depend on the variety of amaranth. Some are taller and some are bushier. I’ve been aiming for 18″ between plants. I always end up sowing to many seeds. Just thin them out and eat the extras.
If you’re trying to find recipes Amaranth is also known as Chinese Spinach, Hinn Choy, Yin Tsoi, Rajgira, Bayam, Kulitis and Callaloo. You may have better luck finding recipes from cultures who use it regularly. I’ve seen a few bayam recipes and the westernized versions usually replace amaranth with spinach… just reverse engineer it.
We grow lots of it as an ornamental every year. We haven’t tried eating it but I heard that you can also pop it like popcorn! Zone 5 here and we get tons of volunteer seedlings every spring. They’re amazingly hardy.