×
  • Home
  • Daily
    • Buyers Guides
    • Composting
    • Container Gardening
    • Easy Healthy Recipes
    • Food Preservation
    • Garden Design
    • Garden Tools
    • Gardening LIfe
      • Animals in the Garden
      • Funny Business
      • Gardening History
      • Gardening Humor
      • Gardening Mishaps
      • Gardening Poems
      • Gardening Romance
      • Gardening Science
      • Gardening with Kids
      • Healing Gardens
      • Joy of Gardening
      • Mystical Gardens
      • Ornamental Gardening
    • Growing Fruits & Berries
    • Indoor Gardening
    • Pests & Diseases
    • Seeds & Seedlings
    • Soil & Fertilizer
    • Spice & Herb Gardening
    • Vegetable Gardening
    • Watering & Irrigation
  • Freebies
  • Videos
  • Magazines
    • Food Gardening Magazine
    • GreenPrints Magazine
    • RecipeLion Magazine
  • Books
    • GuideBooks
    • Cookbooks
      • Beverages
      • Bakery
      • Breakfast
      • Appetizers
      • Salads & Dressings
      • Soups
      • Entrées
      • Side Dishes & Sauces
      • Desserts
    • Story Collections
    • StoryBooks
    • Recipe Collections
  • Kits
    • Garden Calendars
    • Garden Plans
    • Recipe Cards
    • Greeting Cards
    • ArtPrints
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Affiliate Program
  • Sponsor Program
  • Give a Gift
  • Privacy Policy & Terms of Use
  • Authors
  • GreenPrints Writer’s Guidelines
  • Keyword Index
  • Join
Crochet, Food Gardening, Knitting, Quilting, Rug Hooking, Sewing
Celebrating 5 Years!

Food Gardening Network

Growing food, fun & more

Give a GiftJoin
Visit Our Amazon Store!
  • Daily
    • Buyers Guides
    • Composting
    • Container Gardening
    • Easy Healthy Recipes
    • Food Preservation
    • Garden Design
    • Garden Tools
    • Gardening Life
      • Animals in the Garden
      • Funny Business
      • Gardening History
      • Gardening Humor
      • Gardening Mishaps
      • Gardening Poems
      • Gardening Romance
      • Gardening Science
      • Gardening with Kids
      • Healing Gardens
      • Joy of Gardening
      • Mystical Gardens
      • Ornamental Gardening
    • Growing Fruits & Berries
    • Indoor Gardening
    • Pests & Diseases
    • Seeds & Seedlings
    • Soil & Fertilizer
    • Spice & Herb Gardening
    • Vegetable Gardening
    • Watering & Irrigation
  • Freebies
  • Videos
  • Magazines
    • Food Gardening Magazine
    • GreenPrints Magazine
    • RecipeLion Magazine
  • Books
    • GuideBooks
    • Cookbooks
      • Beverages
      • Bakery
      • Breakfast
      • Appetizers
      • Salads & Dressings
      • Soups
      • Entrées
      • Side Dishes & Sauces
      • Desserts
    • Story Collections
    • StoryBooks
    • Recipe Collections
  • Kits
    • Garden Calendars
    • Garden Plans
    • Recipe Cards
    • Greeting Cards
    • ArtPrints
  • Visit Our Amazon Store!|
  • Sign In
  • Search

Storing and Preserving Your Sunflowers

Gardening Guide: Super Sunflowers Guide

arrow-left Previous
Next arrow-right

Storing and Preserving Your Sunflowers

By Bill Dugan, Executive Editor

Gardener handpicking sunflower seeds from a dried seed head

Gardener handpicking sunflower seeds from a dried seed head

Storing and preserving sunflower seeds is pretty straightforward, depending on whether you plan to eat them or if you’re going to share them with local wildlife.

The simplest thing to do is cut the ripe sunflowers off the stalk, remove the flower ray petals, and set the sunflowers out where birds and other wildlife can enjoy them. If you want to enjoy them for yourself, there are a few other steps to take.

When the surface of the sunflower is clear of disc flowers, tie two or three sunflowers together and hang them in a dark, warm, dry area for a few days up to week. To keep things neat, tie cheesecloth, a paper bag, or a mesh laundry bag over the head to catch any seeds that fall out, and to protect your seeds from hungry critters.

Once the seed heads have dried, it should be easy for you to loosen the seeds from the head. Then you’re ready to preserve them.

Soak and salt your sunflowers

The first step toward getting your sunflowers ready to eat is to soak them in a salt bath overnight. This will draw out impurities and plump up your seeds for whatever comes next.

After a good soak, strain your sunflower seeds. Pick out any debris. Spread the seeds out in a single layer on paper towel or some other absorbent surface until they are completely dry.

Choose your sunflower style

Once your soaked and salted sunflowers are dry, you have a number of ways you can enjoy them: raw or roasted, in their shells or out.

Raw sunflowers

Once your sunflower seeds are dry, spread them out on a flat, borderless surface like a countertop. Make sure the seeds are on some sort of liner, like waxed paper or parchment paper. This is where things will get a little messy, but not for long.

Roll a rolling pin over the seeds to separate them from the shells. You can also use a kitchen mallet or the broad side of a chef’s knife. To make the sorting easier, dump the shells into a large jar of water and pour the floating debris into the compost. Keep pouring water into the jar until all the flotsam is removed and you have nothing left but kernels.

Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks, or in the fridge for up to a month.

Roasted sunflowers

If you don’t want to eat your sunflower seeds raw, fire up the oven to 325 degrees F. Spread your sunflower seeds, still in their shells, on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and a little salt or a seasoning of your choice. Bake the seeds for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring and flipping them about halfway through.

Let the seeds cool. At this point, they’re ready for snacking—especially if you enjoy the fun of cracking the shells with your teeth, spitting out the shells, and savoring each seed.

If you’d like a less messy way of eating them, remove the seeds from the shells as described above. Store in an airtight container and use for snacks and baking.

Sunflower seed butter

You can also take your freshly roasted and shelled seeds and transform the seeds into sunbutter. It’s as easy as running a batch of seeds on high in the food processor or blender, two minutes at a time, until you get to the consistency you like. If you need a little liquid, a small splash of sunflower oil can help. Store your sunbutter in the fridge for up to three months.

What’s your favorite way to store and preserve your sunflower harvest? How much do you preserve compared to how much you eat fresh? Please share your best tips for storing and preserving sunflowers.

arrow-left Previous
Next arrow-right
Comments
  • Kathleen D. March 3, 2024

    Must you soak the sunflower seeds in salted water? Can you use unsalted water? This is a consideration for those on salt restricted diets.

    Reply
  • Kathleen D. March 3, 2024

    Must

    Reply

Click here to cancel reply.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sunflowers

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  • Curator’s Corner
  • Introduction
  • Types of Sunflowers
  • Growing Sunflowers From Seeds or Seedlings
  • Sun and Soil Requirements for Growing Sunflower Plants
  • Planting Sunflower Plants in the Ground or in Raised Beds
  • Companion Plants for Sunflowers
  • Growing Sunflower Plants in Containers
  • Watering, Weeding, Fertilizing, and Pruning Your Sunflower Plants
  • Harvesting Your Sunflowers
  • Storing and Preserving Your Sunflowers
  • Dealing with Sunflower Diseases
  • Dealing With Sunflower Pests
  • Essential Tools and Equipment for Growing and Enjoying Sunflowers
  • The 9 Best Sunflowers to Grow This Season
  • Plant Profiles

  • Mammoth Grey Stripe Sunflower
  • Chocolate Sunflower
  • Ring of Fire Sunflower
  • Mongolian Giant Sunflower
  • Black Russian Sunflower
  • Super Snack Mix Sunflower
  • Sunspot Sunflower
  • Recipes

  • Sunflower Seed Crusted Chicken
  • Sunflower Flour
  • Sunflower Bread
  • Toasted Sunflower Oil
  • Honey Sunflower Bites
  • Additional Articles

  • Nutrition Facts about Sunflowers
  • Home Remedies and Health Benefits of Sunflowers
  • Resources about Sunflowers
  • Sunflowers Glossary

Enter Your Log In Credentials

This setting should only be used on your home or work computer.

  • Lost your password? Create New Password
  • No account? Sign up

Need Assistance?

Call Food Gardening Network Customer Service at
(800) 777-2658

Food Gardening Network is an active member of the following industry associations:

  • American Horticultural Society
  • GardenComm Logo
  • GardenComm Laurel Media Award
  • MCMA logo
  • Join Now
  • Learn More
  • About Food Gardening Network
  • Contact Us
  • Affiliate Program
  • Sponsor Program
  • Give a Gift
  • Privacy Policy & Terms of Use

Food Gardening Network
99 Derby Street, Suite 200
Hingham, MA 02043
support@foodgardening.mequoda.com

To learn more about our Email Marketing and Broadcasting Services, Exchange Program, or to become a marketing partner with any of our publications, click here to contact us at Mequoda Publishing Network.

FREE E-Newsletter for You!

Discover how to grow, harvest, and eat good food from your own garden—with our FREE e-newsletter, delivered directly to your email inbox.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Powered by
Mequoda Publishing Network
copyright © 2025 Mequoda Systems, LLC

Food Gardening Network®, Food Gardening Magazine® and GreenPrints® are registered trademarks of Mequoda Systems, LLC.