Amazing Amaranth

Amaranth is a member of the Amaranthaceae Family which includes beets, quinoa, spinach and Swiss chard. Amaranth also goes by the names of green amaranth, pigweed, rough pigweed, redroot, quelite, careless weed, and alegria.

Amaranth (Amaranthus retroflexus, A. palmeri, A. hybridus, A.powelii, A. blitum (Strawberry Blite), A graecizans (prostrate amaranth, tumbleweed) are all common varieties of this species.

The genus name Amaranthus comes from the Greek word amaranton, which means "unwithering,” or “deathless” because amaranth was considered a symbol of immortality as the plant grows with persistence and it was once spread upon graves to denote the immortality of the soul. The species name retroflexus is in reference to the drooping leaves.

Amaranth was an important food crop, along with beans, corn, pumpkin and tomatoes for the Aztecs and Incas of South America as long ago as 6700 BC. Amaranth offered a high protein source and was offered to the deities of rain, agriculture and fertility. When Cortez invaded Mexico in 1519, eighteen imperial granaries were found containing amaranth seed.

Amaranth was also associated with human sacrifice and Aztec women once made a mixture of ground amaranth seed, honey or human blood then shaped this mixture into the shapes of dieties that were eaten ceremoniously. The Spaniards considered the reverence of amaranth as a mockery of the Christian Eucharist, and so Cortez ordered the destruction of the amaranth fields and growing the crop become punishable by death. Fields of amaranth were burned and fell into obscurity for hundreds of years.

Amaranth leaves have medicinal properties and can be made into a tea. They are considered astringent, diuretic and hemostatic. They have been utilized to treat diarrhea, dysentery as well as excessive menstrual bleeding.

All of the amaranths are edible raw or cooked. Amaranth leaves and tips can be collected before flowering and prepared like spinach, whose flavor it resembles. Amaranth varieties with bright red leaves is used as a coloring form breads and beverages. In Ecuador, the flowers are boiled then the colored boiling water is added to "aquardeinte" rum to create a drink that "purifies the blood," and reputed to help regulate the menstrual cycle.

Amaranth seeds can be used as a grain substitute for someone who is sensitive to grains or looking for a low-carb option. Amaranth is gluten free and in a different family than gluten containing grains. The seeds then can be ground, cooked into a gruel or used as a flour and added to breads, pancakes or muffins. When heated, the seeds pop like popcorn. In India amaranth is known as "rajeera" (the King's grain) and is popped then used in confections called "laddoos," which are similar to Mexican "alegria." Because it is highly digestible, it is also good for people recovering from an illness or breaking a fast.

The leaves contain beta carotene, B complex, vitamin C, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium and protein Amaranth seeds contain about 15 grams of protein per 100 grams, (including the amino acid lysine and methionine, which are usually not present in grains and rice like corn). Amaranth seed also contains vitamin E, B complex, calcium, phosphorus and potassium.

Amaranth flowers dry well for dried flower arrangements. During the carnival festival women dancers often use the red amaranth as rouge, painting their cheeks, and dancing while carrying amaranth bundles, like a baby.

Lookalikes lambsquarter, saltbrush (both edible)

PLANETARY CORRESPONDENCE:
Saturn Element: Fire
Polarity: Yin

Amaranth does contain some oxalates, which can inhibit calcium absorption, so be sure your diet contains calcium if incorporating more than small amounts of amaranth by consuming yogurt, carrots and broccoli. Amaranth can accumulate nitrates from the soil and should be eaten in moderation especially if accumulating nitrates from fertilizers.

Amaranth is native to tropical America, though there are other varieties native to India. This is a diverse group. It is an Annual that grows one to three feet tall, but even six feet tall is possible. Some are amaranths lie prostrate, some leaves are branched. Young lower leaves can be oval to lance shaped have a purple underside. Leaves are arranged alternately, are pinnately veined with wavy margins. The flowers are small green, inconspicuous coarse and feathery growing in spikes from the tip and axis of the leaves. A, hybridus produces small red or magenta flowers that look like the feathers of some exotic bird and known as Cockscomb. The A. palmerii may grow erect or prostate and is smaller and paler leaves.

The taproots and stems, are often red.

Each plant can produce 40,000 to 60,000 tiny golden colored seeds. (Wild species produce black or brown seeds.) Seeds are available in late summer. Amaranth thrives in dry to damp soil. Found growing in vacant lots, gardens, lawns, orchards, cracks in the sidewalk, foothills, enjoying moist locations and waste areas.

The seed heads resemble really bushy corn tassels.

In the Cusco area the flowers are used to treat toothache and fevers and as a food colorant for maize and quinoa. Amaranth is very easy to grow. It is an annual, so it will have to be replanted, or allowed to self-seed each year. It readily reseeds, however, and unless you're careful you won't have much choice in the matter. It doesn't transplant well and grows best outdoors. It tolerates a variety of soil types, though fertile, well-drained soil is best. It is resistant to heat and drought and has no major disease problems, although it is susceptible to fungus if the soil is kept too moist. It has the ability to bounce back from a wilt when conditions improve. Just throw down some seeds in the spring, mid-May to early June is best. It works well in crop rotation with corn or soybeans.

Collect leaves in spring and seeds in late summer and fall. and have been known to sprout even after forty years. . Ready to harvest seeds when shiny and black in autumn.

The seeds can be collected in late summer or autumn, spread out on a paper bag and allowed to dry for several days. Using your fingers, separate the seeds from the chaff and use a colander, or fine screen to separate the two. Seeds can also be roasted. The roasted and milled seed is also used to make a traditional drink called "atole."

Use a broom handle to thrash and separate the seeds. The seeds can be collected in late summer or autumn, spread out on a paper bag and allowed to dry for several days. Using your fingers, separate the seeds from the chaff and use a colander to separate the two. Tossing the seeds over the colander into the air during a light breeze can help blow away the seed covering. You can harvest the seeds as late as the day after the first frost. If the leaves start to fall off, that's an indication that it's about ready. You can then cover the seed heads with a brown paper bag and shake the seeds loose.

Store away from light in a cool, dry place. Light, heat and moisture will damage the oils in the seeds and cause them to go rancid.