Sunflowers - Useful in Crafts, Cooking, Home Decor and of course, in the Garden

Archeological evidence suggests that Native Americans began cultivating and improving the sunflower as early as 2300 B.C.

European explorers saw their first sunflower in South America. The Incas grew a tall, single stemmed sunflower from years of selecting and breeding plants from a smaller, native wild flower. Spanish botanists were among the first to receive batches of seeds brought back by the explorers, and by 1580 the sunflower was a common sight in Spanish villages. From Spain, the sunflower spread to Italy, Egypt, India, China, and Russia where it was first grown commercially as an important oilseed crop.

Native Americans in the U.S. have been using wild sunflower for food and medicine for at least 8,000 years. Thus, sunflower cultivation may predate cultivation of the "Three Sisters" of corn, beans and squash. The seeds of sunflower were usually roasted and ground into a fine meal for baking or used to thicken soups and stews. "Seed-balls", similar to peanut butter, made from sunflower butter made a convenient carry-along food for traveling. Roasted sunflower hulls were steeped in boiling water to make a coffee-like beverage. Dye was extracted from hulls and petals. Face paint was made from dried petals and pollen.

When the colonists and explorers sent seed from the New World back to Europe, the sunflower was treated mainly as a curiosity and a garden flower. It was not used as an edible crop again until it reached Russia. In Russia, the Holy Orthodox Church forbade the use of many foods, including many rich in oil, during Lent and Advent. The Russians eagerly accepted the sunflower as an oil source that could be eaten without breaking the laws of the church. Russians also enjoyed sunflowers as a snack food. In the past 50 years, Russians have bred sunflowers for high oil content and improved disease resistance.

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Greek Mythology
Clytie, who was either a water nymph or a princess of the ancient city of Babylon*, fell in love with Apollo, god of the sun. For a time the god returned her love, but then he tired of her. The forlorn Clytie sat, day after day, slowly turning her head to watch Apollo move across the sky in his sun chariot. Eventually, the gods took pity on her and turned her into a flower. In some versions of the myth, she became a heliotrope or a marigold, but most accounts say that Clytie became a sunflower.

The Inca Empire
It's said that the natives of the Inca Empire worshipped a giant sunflower, and that Incan priestesses wore large sunflower disks made of gold on their garments. Images of sunflowers were found in the temples of the Andes mountains, and Native American Indians placed bowls of sunflower seeds on the graves of their dead.

Symbolism
The Sunflower is the 3rd wedding anniversary flower and the state flower of Kansas.
Their open faces symbolize the sun itself, conveying warmth and happiness, adoration and longevity.

Roles of Flowers

Sunflower is an important agricultural crop choice for US producers in the northern plains of the Dakotas to the panhandle of Texas. Browse this complete site on US sunflower production to learn about the sturdy sunflower and the healthy products it provides.

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Sunflower seeds may help with:
Allergies
Cancer
Inflammation
Damaged tissues
Constipation
Alzheimer's disease
Immune system deficiency
Acne

Supports organs and systems:
Joints
Cardiovascular system
Bowel
Brain
Skin disorders
Digestive system
Teeth
Immune system

Nutrients found in Sunflower seeds:
Folic acid
Fiber
Vitamin B5
Vitamin B6
Arginine
Genistein
Selenium
Vitamin A
Vitamin B1
Vitamin B3
Antioxidants
Vitamin D
Vitamin E
Copper
Iron
Magnesium
Phosphorus
Pyridoxine
Zinc
Calcium
Omega-6 fatty acids
Vitamin B2
Manganese
Potassium
Linoleic acid

Oil, extracted from the ground seeds by boiling, provided many South American tribes with cooking oil and hair treatment. Medicinal uses included everything from wart removal to snake bite treatment to sunstroke treatment.

8 cups rolled oats (not instant)
1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups unprocessed bran
1 1/2 cups natural wheat germ (not toasted or honeyed)
3/4 cup roasted sunflower kernel, no salt
1/2 cup sunflower oil
3/4 cup honey
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups raisins
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup dried mixed fruit, chopped

Stir oats, brown sugar, bran, wheat germ, and sunflower kernels in a large bowl. Put sunflower oil, honey, and vanilla in a small saucepan. Heat, stirring until bubbly. Pour liquid over dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Divide oat mixture evenly and spread on two rimmed cookie sheets. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes, stirring once to keep granola evenly browned. When completely cool, add raisins, coconut, and dried fruit.

Makes about 18 cups.

Calories 160 (26% from fat); Fat 4.75g (sat .8, mono .95g, poly 2.69g); Protein 3.65g; Carb 27.4g; Fiber 2.52g; Chol 0.

4 ounces Muenster cheese, room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon red pepper
2/3 cup roasted, salted sunflower kernels

Combine cheeses, blend thoroughly. (Use food processor, if possible.) Add Worcestershire sauce, paprika, and red pepper; blend. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Roll in sunflower kernels immediately. Refrigerate cheese balls 2 hours. Serve with whole-grain crackers, bread sticks or miniature bread slices.

Makes 25 cheese balls

4 medium or 3 large onions
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
2 1/4 cups beef stock
1 cup white wine
1/2 tsp. caraway seeds
Pepper, to taste
1/3 cup roasted sunflower kernel
8 slices French bread
1 cup Gruyere or Swiss cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Peel onions; slice thinly. Melt butter in heavy skillet; add onions and cook until onions are clear or transparent. Add beef stock, wine, caraway seeds, and pepper; simmer 5 to 10 minutes. Ladle soup into four oven-proof soup bowls; place 2 slices of bread on top of soup in each bowl. Sprinkle with sunflower kernel and cheese. Bake until golden brown.

For crusty tops, place soup bowls under broiler for several minutes before serving.

4 servings
Per serving: Calories, 445; protein, 20 g; carbohydrates, 39 g; fiber, 4.2 g; fat, 23 g; cholesterol, 47 mg; sodium, 700 mg