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I have lots of home-grown sunflower seeds. Is there a quick and easy way of de-hulling them, or do I have to sit and pick the shell off each individual one (in which case I might just feed them to the chickens instead)?

I've often pondered this one, also with pumkin seeds. Now with pumkin seeds the solution is to grow the variety from Austria where the seeds don't have a husk (although I tried this, the pumkin flesh of this variety is tasteless and for me the seeds were tiny and not plump enough to be worth eating). With sunflower seeds, I think you need to dry them in the oven until the husks are dry enough to rub off easily - I think I've heard this, but haven't tried it.

grahamhobbs wrote:I've often pondered this one, also with pumkin seeds. Now with pumkin seeds the solution is to grow the variety from Austria where the seeds don't have a husk (although I tried this, the pumkin flesh of this variety is tasteless and for me the seeds were tiny and not plump enough to be worth eating).

I think they may need more sun than Britain can offer; they are not meant to have flesh.

The only solution I can offer is - learn to de-husk your seeds with your teeth. That's how our fellow students from various other countries did it, and I got quite good at it! (The seeds were generally roasted and salted... It kept you awake during lectures, and you weren't taking in quite as many calories as if you'd been eating, say, peanuts or crisps!)

I was about to ask the same question!! Hope someone has the answer. pbf.

If you have a hand-cranked grain grinder, the kind with the two circular plates that rotate against each other, you can set the plates to just a smidge smaller than the widest seeds, run them through, then set it just a bit smaller and run them through again, until most of the shells are cracked open. Then winnow the loose shells away.

Detailed directions found here: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel_lib ... press.html

Oh, I've often wondered that. Good question!

Jill

ina wrote:[The only solution I can offer is - learn to de-husk your seeds with your teeth. That's how our fellow students from various other countries did it, and I got quite good at it! (The seeds were generally roasted and salted... It kept you awake during lectures, and you weren't taking in quite as many calories as if you'd been eating, say, peanuts or crisps!)

No way.... my teeth would not stand up to that!
there must be a simpler way....I also have often wondered what other people do!!

Oh It's easy!

I've learnt here. You hold the seed so that the pointy bit is facing your mouth, hold it so that the edges are in line with the gaps in your top and bottom incisors. Munch carefully 3 times along the seed, and the seed pops out of the husk!

However...if you're looking to dehusk on a large scale, i wouldn't recommend it...too much spit on the seeds!

Google "universal nut sheller" + Plans. The idea can be used for sunflower seeds - there is a free PDF somewhere, I know because i have it on one of my data sticks. PM me if you cant find it and I will try and email it to you - Prefer a Gmail Account as i know it will have room to recieve the file :-)

http://www.ehow.co.uk/how_6054263_shell ... -home.html

Just found this page as I have heaps of sunflowers almost ready and I wasn't looking forward to dehulling them by hand! Hope it's helpful!
Di