Flax / Linseed / Linum usitatissimum
Great for increasing fiber in your diet and adding colour to your garden.
Harvesting flaxseed is a little bit of a mission, but its largely entertaining, if you like that sort of thing.
And they look real pretty when growing in the garden, filling it with lots of tiny purple flowers on long stems. I just bought a whole bag of seeds for eating from my local vegetable store and threw a few handfuls into the garden beds to see what would come up. And a whole lot did!
GROWING
Plant the seeds in the autumn months, you can sprinkle over turned/raked soil or lightly cover with soil (especially if its windy). Flax can tolerate cold temperatures and prefer cooler climates, best in full sun.
Recommend amongst other plants and vegetables as their stems are tall and thin, and the other plants will help with stability. Each flower only lasts one day, and each flower has a seed pod full of seeds.
Always water gently. Only needing to be watered when the soil is dry in hot and/ or windy weather.
FLOWERING TIME
The flowering period lasts 15-25 days during the spring months. Be sure to plant the seeds in autumn so they can flower in the cooler spring months as they will not tolerate high temperatures in the summer.
Each stem has several flowers, opening one at a time from the bottom up.
HARVESTING FLAX SEEDS
Wait until all the flowers are finished blooming and the seed pods are completely dried out. The seed pods will turn from green to a light brown and the whole stem can be pulled out when all the pods are brown.
Pull the stem out gently from the ground and place directly into a deep bowl, with the seed pods on the bottom – upside down/roots up. When the bowl is full move to an area without wind and cut off the empty stem and root. Allow the pods to dry out for a few days, left to air. Do not put them in a plastic container that is closed as this will cause them to get moldy. Everyday turn them around a bit to make sure they are drying evenly. Cutting off stems and leaves as you go will help reduce the work load later.
You can also press on the little ball pods to allow the seeds to fall out, this will help them dry out.
When you are 100% certain the seeds are dry there are a few ways to separate the seed from the husks.
One option is to put them into a fabric or plastic bag and apply pressure all over and repeatedly. One page recommended driving over it with your car, but you may be at risk of losing seeds this way. I certainly did not have the courage.
Another way is to manually squash all the pods by hand in the bowl or use a rounded bottom glass, something with a big base, so you can do as much as possible in one go. You can shuffle everything around a bit to check all the pods are broken open.
Once everything is squashed and separated, you can place everything into a colander to sieve out the larger pieces ( stems and leaves), into a deep-ish bowl, the seeds will rest on the bottom. Then go stand outside and gently blow and the light bits of husk and they will all fly away. Gentle blowing will be ample.
When you have succeeded (or run out of patience) you will be left with a bowl full of edible or plant-able flax seeds! Providing you had a few plants there will be a surprisingly large amount of seeds there for you. Keep some for planting again next autumn.
Always make sure seeds are properly dried before placing in a sealed container, away from sunlight. I recommend not keeping them for more than one year before planting again, as seeds do not last forever, rather just keep them rotating and not waste them. Seeds for eating can also be kept in the freezer for up to a year.
BENEFITS OF EATING FLAXSEED
Your flaxseeds will need to be crushed or put through a blender in order for your body to digest them, the seed casing is tough and is not able to be digested without being broken open. Unfortunately, but I am sure you can manage, you will need to put a new batch through a blender every time you eat them. Coffee grinders or a mortar and pestle will work too!
Flaxseeds are a great source of fiber and aid digestion, ideal for someone with IBS also. They are also high in protein, omega-3, minerals, vitamins and anti-oxidants.
You can eat a table spoon of flax seeds once a day, crushed, for best results. They are wonderful in breads, wraps, cereals and smoothies. And well worth the effort!
Good luck! Enjoy the journey for the reward!