What is called the flower is actually a head (formerly composite flower) of numerous flowers crowded together. The outer flowers are the ray florets and can be yellow, maroon, orange, or other colors. These flowers are sterile. The flowers that fill the circular head inside the ray flowers are called disc florets. The arrangement of florets within this cluster is typically such that each is separated from the next by approximately the golden angle, producing a pattern of spirals where the number of left spirals and the number of right spirals are successive Fibonacci numbers. The disc florets mature into "seeds". However, what we commonly call the seeds are actually the fruit (an achene) of the plant, with the true seeds encased in an inedible husk.
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Basic Instruction
Sunflower Seed or sunflower Kernels:what is Marigold of Peru. Corona Solis. Sola Indianus. Chrysanthemum Peruvianum?...
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The common Sunflower is a native of Mexico and Peru, introduced into this country in the sixteenth century and now one of our most familiar garden plants.
It is an annual herb, with a rough, hairy stem, 3 to 12 feet high, broad, coarselytoothed, rough leaves, 3 to 12 inches long, and circular heads of flowers, 3 to 6 inches wide in wild specimens and often a foot or more in cultivation. The flower-heads are composed of many small tubular flowers arranged compactly on a flattish disk: those in the outer row have long strap-shaped corollas, forming the rays of the composite flower.
The genus Helianthus, to which the Sunflower belongs, contains about fifty species, chiefly natives of North America; many are indigenous to the Rocky Mountains, others to tropical America, and a few species are found in Peru and Chile.
They are tall, hardy, annual or perennial herbs, several of which are grown in gardens, being of easy cultivation in moderately good soil, and that useful plant of the kitchen garden, the Jerusalem Artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus), is also a member of the genus.
The name Helianthus, being derived from helios (the sun) and anthos (a flower), has the same meaning as the English name Sunflower, which it is popularly supposed has been given these flowers from a supposition that they follow the sun by day, always turning towards its direct rays. But since the word 'Sunflower' existed in English literature before the introduction of H. annuus, or at any rate before its general diffusion in English gardens, it is obvious that some other flower must have been intended. The Marigold (Calendulu officinalis) is considered by Dr. Prior to have been the plant described by Ovid as turning to the sun, likewise the solsaece of the Anglo-Saxon, a word equivalent to solsequium (sun-following). The better explanation for the application of the name to a flower is its resemblance to 'the radiant beams of the sun.'
In Peru, this flower was much reverenced by the Aztecs, and in their temples of the Sun, the priestesses were crowned with Sunflowers and carried them in their hands. The early Spanish conquerors found in these temples numerous representations of the Sunflower wrought in pure gold.
In some of the old Herbals we find the Rock-rose (Helianthemum vulgare) also termed Sunflower, its flowers opening only in the sunshine. The so-called 'Pigmy sunflower' is Actinella grandiflora, a pretty perennial 6 to 9 inches high, from the Colorado mountains.
The Sunflower is valuable from an economic, as well as from an ornamental point of view. Every part of the plant may be utilized for some economic purpose. The leaves form a cattle-food and the stems contain a fibre which may be used successfully in making paper. The seed is rich in oil, which is said to approach more nearly to olive oil than any other vegetable oil known and to be largely used as a substitute. In prewar days, Sunflower seed was sometimes grown in this country, especially on sewage farms, as an economical crop for pheasants, as well as poultry. The flowers contain a yellow dye.
Taxonomy:
The cultivated sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is one of the 67 species in the genus Helianthus. All are native to the Americas and most are found in the USA. It is a member of the Compositae family and has a typical composite flower. Jerusalem artichoke (H. tuberosus L.), another species, is grown on a limited basis for food and livestock feed in the USA. A few species are grown as ornamentals and the rest are weeds, usually found in pastures or disturbed areas.
The basic chromosome number for the Helianthus genus is 17. Diploid, tetraploid and hexaploid species are known. The majority of the species are perennial with only about a dozen annual species. Plant breeders have made interspecific crosses within the genus and have transferred such useful characters as higher oil percentage, cytoplasmic male sterility for use in production of hybrids, and disease and insect resistance to commercial sunflower.
Seeds, kernel, what is the difference?
The answer, there isn't a difference. Here is how the NSA refers to sunflower seeds/kernel:
In-shell means the seed is left intact with the "meat" of the seed still in the shell. It is normally roasted and seasoned. It is eaten as a snack by cracking the shell with one's teeth, discarding the hull and eating the delicious morsel within. 'Chew and spit' is a great American pastime, especially at baseball games and other outdoor events.
Kernel means the processor has mechanically removed the hull. The resulting kernel is now in a convenient form to be sold raw or roasted for snacking or as an ingredient.
Confection/Non-oil Sunflower Characteristics
Confection sunflower seeds are normally black with white stripes and approximately five eighths of an inch long. The heavy hull accounts for approximately half the weight of the seed and is loosely fixed to the kernel inside. Seed size is primarily affected by plant genetics, but also to planting density and weather.
Sunflower seeds are graded according to size and separated into groups. The largest size will go into the in-shell market. The medium-sized seeds are usually hulled for the kernel market. The smallest size will go into the bird and pet feeding market.
Seeds: An Ideal Snack and Ingredient
High protein, low carbohydrate diets are here to stay; thus it is even more important than ever to make sure they are full of naturally healthy foods such as sunflower seeds. Sunflower seeds are the best whole-food source of Vitamin E. They provide an ideal heart-healthy profile, are high in protein, and naturally low in carbohydrate. Learn more about the benefits of sunflower seeds by downloading the fact sheets below.
Sunflower seed:
The sunflower seed is the seed of the sunflower (Helianthus annuus).
These seeds have been cultivated for several thousand years, originally in Mexico and Peru. They have been used by Native Americans for more than 5,000 years. They were brought to Europe by the Spanish conquerors.
Sunflower seeds are both eaten whole and pressed to produce sunflower oil. Sunflower seeds are tasty and rich in fibers and polyunsaturated fatty acids (about 66 % linoleic acid) and low in saturated acids, such as palmitic acid and stearic acid. They are processed into polyunsaturated margarines. Nowadays, sunflower oil is one of the most popular oils in the world.
Sunflower seeds in achenes with striped pericarps (= fruit wall) are used primarily for food. Seeds from achenes with solid black pericarps are pressed into sunflower oil.
Sunflower seeds are more often eaten as a healthy snack than as part of a meal. They are particularly popular in Mediterranean countries. When eaten whole, the seeds are first dried. They may be roasted and for better preservation they are often covered with salt or flour.
Sunflower seeds are sometimes added to bread and other baked goods, for their flavor.
Apart from human consumption, sunflower seeds are also sold as food for pet and wild birds. The pressed sunflower seed cake constitutes a valuable livestock feed, rich in proteins.
Furthermore, sunflower oil could become in the future a renewable, eco-friendly energy source, as an important bio-source for hydrogen. A team for the University of Leeds has developed a workable method for the extraction of hydrogen from sunflower oil, through a chain of chemical reactions with nickel and carbon-based catalysts.
Cultivation and Uses:
To grow well, sunflowers need full sun. They grow best in fertile, moist, well-drained soil with a lot of mulch. Seeds should be 45 cm (1.5') apart and planted 2.5 cm (1") deep.
Sunflower "whole seeds" (fruit) are sold as snacks, especially in the United States and Europe, and as food for birds. Sunflower oil, extracted from the seeds, is used for cooking (but is less cardiohealthy than olive oil), as a carrier oil and is used to produce biodiesel, for which it is less expensive than the olive product. The cake remaining after the seeds have been processed for oil is used as a livestock feed. Some recently developed cultivars have drooping heads. These cultivars are less attractive to gardeners growing the flowers as ornamental plants, but appeal to farmers, because they reduce bird damage and losses from some plant diseases. There are also new breeds of sunflowers which are transgenic, so that they are resistant to some diseases.
The sunflower is the state flower of the U.S. state of Kansas, and one of the city flowers of Kitakyushu.
The Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosa) is related to the sunflower. The Mexican sunflower is Tithonia rotundifolia. False sunflower refers to plants of the genus Heliopsis.
Scientific literature reports, from 1567, that a 12 m (40'), traditional, single-head, sunflower plant was grown in Padua. The same seed lot grew almost 8 m (24') at other times and places (e.g. Madrid). Much more recent feats (past score years) of over 8 m (25') have been achieved in both Netherlands and Canada (Ontario).
PhytoChemicals and Constituents:
The black-seeded variety yield between 50 and 60 per cent of the best grade of oil.
The oil has a specific gravity of from 0.924 to 0.926, solidifies at 5 degrees F., is slightly yellowish, limpid, of a sweetish taste and odourless. It dries slowly and forms one of the best burning oils known, burning longer than any other vegetable oil.
Ludwig and Kromayer obtained a tannin which they called Helianthitanic acid, and gave it the formula Cl4H9O8. On boiling with moderately diluted hydrochloric acid, they obtained a fermentable sugar and a violet colouring matter. E. Diek found only small quantities of Inulin, large quantities of Levulin and a dextro-rotatory sugar.
All parts of the plant contain much carbonate of potash.
Facts About Vitamin E:
Sunflower seeds are the best whole food source of vitamin E, an antioxidant important to health, according to the USDA Nutrient Database. One ounce of oil-roasted sunflower seeds provides a whopping 76% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance for vitamin E.
Common Possible Uses and Applications:
Sunflower-seeds as Poultry and Cattle Food:
Sunflower seeds have a high feeding value - the analysis in round figures is 16 per cent albumen and 21 per cent fat.
Being so rich in oil, they are too stimulating to use alone and should only be used in combination with other feeding stuffs. Fed with oats in equal quantities, they make a perfectly balanced ration. Since both of these articles contain a big proportion of indigestible matter, particularly in the husks, grit must on no account be withheld, if the birds are to derive full benefit.
As food for laying poultry, it ought in the opinion of some authorities, not to be used in excess of one-third of the total mixture of corn, owing to its fat-producing properties.
The seeds are palatable to poultry and greedily devoured by them. A very common way to supply the birds with the seeds is to hang up the ripe heads just high enough to compel the chicks to pick them out, for when the heads are thrown into the yard, they are trodden on and wasted.
Sunflower-seed oil-cake is a valuable article for bringing up the feeding value of some of the poultry foods and was specially in demand for this purpose in war-time, when the supply of good cereals ran short. It is more fattening to cattle than Linseed cake, being richer in nitrogenous substances, containing 34 per cent albumen. As well as being an excellent food for poultry, and also for rabbits, it keeps both horses and cattle in good condition. It is said that cows, fed on Sunflower-seed oil-cake, mixed with bran, will have an increased flow of good, rich milk.
It is largely exported by Russia to Denmark, Sweden and elsewhere for stock feeding.
Sunflower Plants as Green Food:
With Sun flowers there need be little waste. Thegreen leaves, when gathered young, make a good succulent green food for poultry stock of all ages. They can be finely minced up and added - raw - to the mash for young or adult stock, or they can be boiled and put in the soft food. The leaves are much appreciated by rabbits, horses, cows and other stock.
The dried leaves can be rubbed up or reduced to a meal form and be well scalded prior to inclusion in the mash, and the ripe seeds can also be ground into a meal if desired.
Litter: Even the stems and seedless heads need not be wasted where fowls are kept. Many may prefer to use them as fire-kindlers, but they will, when thoroughly dry, come in useful as litter for the laying-houses. When dry, they can be passed through a chaffcutting machine and be added to the other litter - peat-moss or dried leaves. They need to be made into a scratchable material for hens, but for ducks, the material can be placed deeply in the house as a bedding. Ducks need litter to 'squat' on rather than to scratch in.
Silage: The value of the Giant Sunflower as a silage crop is discussed in the March, 1918, number of The Journal of Heredity, by F. B. Linfield, the Director of the Montana Agricultural Station. Trials were made of this plant in the higher valleys, where Beans and Maize were not well adapted, owing to the uncertainty of their yield. In three successive years, the yield of the Sunflower varied from 22 to 30 tons of green fodder per acre, being about two and a half times that of Maize, and more than twice as great as that of Lucerne, for the season. It had, moreover, the advantage of so shading the ground as to keep all weeds under. Feeding experiments were made with it, both as a green crop and as silage. Cows were found to eat it as readily as Maize fodder, and control experiments showed that the milk flow was maintained as readily as with the latter crop; nor was there evidence of any taint in the milk. A portion of the Sunflower fodder was put into the silo and fed in the winter, both to cows and fattening steers, with satisfactory results. It matures in the English climate better than Maize, and, consequently, would not be so liable to become sour in the silo and its relatively high oil content would probably render it valuable.
As Fuel. As Source of Potash for Manure:
Sunflowers, when the stalks are dry, are as hard as wood and make an excellent fire.
Those who undertake to grow Sunflowers should, however, bear in mind that the ash obtained from the plants after the seed has been harvested is, owing to its richness in potash, a manure of considerable value, so that it is really wasteful to use up the dry stems merely on the domestic fire; it is of more advantage to make them up in heaps on the ground, burn them there and save the ash.
At the time of cutting, strip off the leaves and feed them to rabbits or poultry. When the stems are dry and after the seed crop has been gathered, choose a fine day to burn both stems and empty seed-heads.
Of the ash obtained from burning the Sunflower stems and heads (apart from seeds) 62 per cent consists of potash, and as an acre of Sunflowers produces from 2,500 to 4,000 lb. of top, the total yield of potash is considerable. Allowing 3,000 lb. of top, there would be produced 160 lb. of ashes per acre of crop, which should contain upwards of 50 lb. of potash.
The ash should either be spread at once or stored under cover; if left exposed to rain, the potash will be washed away and the ash rendered of little manurial value. It can be used with advantage for the potato or other root crop in the following year, being spread a little while before the crop is planted, at the rate of from 1/2 to 1 OZ. to the square yard.
As Soil Improver: The growing herb is extremely useful for drying damp soils, because of its remarkable ability to absorb quantities of water. Swampy districts in Holland have been made habitable by an extensive culture of the Sunflower, the malarial miasma being absorbed and nullified, whilst abundant oxygen is emitted.
Textile Use: The Chinese grow this plant extensively, and it is believed that a large portion of its fibre is mixed with their silks.
A Bee Plant: The Sunflower is a good bee plant, as it furnishes hive bees with large quantities of wax and nectar.
As Vegetable: The unexpanded buds boiled and served like Artichokes form a pleasant dish.
Medicinal Action and Uses:
The seeds have diuretic and expectorant properties and have been employed with success in the treatment of bronchial, laryngeal and pulmonary affections, coughs and colds, also in whooping cough.
The following preparation is recommended: Boil 2 OZ. of the seeds in 1 quart of water, down to 12 OZ. and then strain. Add 6 OZ. of good Holland gin and 6 OZ. of sugar. Give in doses of 1 to 2 teaspoonsful, three or four times a day.
The oil possesses similar properties and may be given in doses of 10 to 15 drops or more, two or three times a day.
A tincture of the Howers and leaves has been recommended in combination with balsamics in the treatment of bronchiectasis.
The seeds, if browned in the oven and then made into an infusion are admirable for the relief of whooping cough.
Tincture of Helianthus has been used in Russia. Kazatchkoft says that in the Caucasus the inhabitants employ the Sunflower in malarial fever. The leaves are spread upon a bed covered with a cloth, moistened with warm milk and then the patient is wrapped up in it. Perspiration is produced and this process is repeated every day until the fever has ceased.
A tincture prepared from the seed with rectified spirit of wine is useful for intermittent fevers and ague, instead of quinine. It has been employed thus in Turkey and Persia, where quinine and arsenic have failed, being free from any of the inconveniences which often arise from giving large quantities of the other drugs.
The leaves are utilized in herb tobaccos.
Sunflower Historical Perspective:
Sunflowers are native to the Americas, and were domesticated around 1000 B.C. Francisco Pizarro found the Inca subjects venerating the sunflower as an image of their sun god, and gold images of the "flower" as well as seeds were taken back to Europe early in the 16th century. Helianthus is from the Greek for "sunflower".
Sunflower, native to North America, is the state flower of Kansas and grows wild in many areas of the United States of America (USA). Sunflower has a long and varied history as an economic plant, but the time and place of its first cultivation is uncertain. Sunflower was used by North American Indians before colonization of the New World. Spanish explorers collected sunflower in North America and by 1580 it was a common garden flower in Spain. Early English and French explorers, finding sunflower in common use by the American Indians, also introduced it to their respective lands. It spread along the trade routes to Italy, Egypt, Afghanistan, India, China, and Russia. Sunflower developed as a premier oilseed crop in Russia and has found wide acceptance throughout Europe. Oilseed sunflower has been an economically important crop in the USA since 1966. Before 1966, sunflower acreage in the USA was devoted primarily to nonoilseed varieties.
The center of sunflower origin has been identified as limited to the western plains of North America, but it has not been determined whether the domesticated type originated in the southwest or in the Mississippi or Missouri River valleys. The wild form of the cultivated sunflower is well known, which is not true with most of our cultivated crop species today.
The American Indians used sunflower as a foodstuff before the cultivation of corn. Sunflower also was used as a medicinal crop, source of dye, oil for ceremonial body painting and pottery, and as a hunting calendar. When sunflower was tall and in bloom, the buffalo were fat and the meat good.
Cultivation of sunflower was undertaken by New World settlers as a supplementary food. Later, sunflower was grown primarily as a garden ornament. It also was grown as an ensilage crop in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Expanded world production of sunflower resulted primarily from development of high-oil varieties by plant scientists and more recently by the development of hybrids. Sunflower is widely grown in the world where the climates are favorable and a high quality oil is desired.
Ways to Enjoy Sunflower Kernels?
Whether you're sitting at a baseball game "spittin' seeds" or using the sunflower oil in a favorite recipe, sunflower kernels and sunflower oil provide the means to a fun and healthy lifestyle.
Sunflower kernels are so versatile, it's hard to think of ways they CAN'T be used! Try some of these ideas to add healthy choices to the foods you eat:
Sprinkle on yogurt
Use with your favorite ice cream topping
Coat a frozen novelty
Top a salad for lunch
Pack a pita with salad and crunch
Toss with stir-fry vegetables
Top your favorite pasta dish
Use in baked goods such as bagels, muffins, multi-grain breads, carrot-sunflower cake, crackers and bars
Snack on caramel sunflower popcorn, sunflower trail mix, granola bars, sunflower date bars and cookies
Use in a sweet treat - try chocolate or white chocolate bars or bark or sunflower brittle
Break the fast with muesli, hot breakfast cereal, ready-to-eat cereals, breakfast bars and muffins.
Consumers Worldwide Love Eating In-Shell Seeds:
CHINA:
Popular Chinese nuts and seeds include peanuts, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, watermelon seeds, pine nuts and sunflower seeds. Chinese consumers spend approximately 10% of their total grocery bill on snacks.
October through April is the highest consumption period for seeds and nuts. When the weather becomes warmer during May through September, consumption decreases.
China has traditionally been a large consumer of sunflower seeds. People within all social and income levels eat them. The main reasons for the popularity of sunflower seeds in China is the tradition of eating them and the economical price in relation to other available nuts. American sunflower seeds do not compete directly with locally produced sunflower seeds. They have their own market niche. There is a significant difference in quality when you compare U.S. confection sunflower seeds to locally produced sunflower seeds. The main consumers of American sunflower seeds tend to be in the middle and upper classes. They like the quality of U.S. seeds and are willing to pay a higher price for them.
Chinese sunflower seed roasters also prefer U.S. sunflower seed quality. They like seeds that are large, have dark black color and no scuffs on the shell. Roasters process sunflower seeds either by dry roasting or steaming them. The seeds are sold salted or seasoned with different flavors.
Sunflower seeds can be purchased in supermarkets, state-run stores, snack shops and "mom & pop" stores. Seeds can be purchased in retail packages in various sizes or bulk. Increasingly, consumers are purchasing snack foods in retail packages versus bulk. Primarily, sunflower seeds are consumed at home. Most of them are eaten while watching television, one seed at a time. This consumption pattern is similar to the Spanish market. The highest consumption periods are during social events and holidays, such as Chinese New Year.
TURKEY:
Food is a very important social element in the Turkish culture. Traditional meals require hours to prepare and consume in the proper Turkish fashion. The pride of the Turkish kitchen is considered to be the freshness of the ingredients. This concern over freshness is carried into the consumer's decision in purchasing snack and nut products. For nuts or seeds, "freshness" is described as having a crisp shell and no stale odor.
Snack foods, including nuts, are consumed by 98% of the population. Sunflower seeds are the most popular item followed by pistachios and peanuts. Ninety percent of the population consumes sunflower seeds. They are sold by nut shops, street vendors, and small local shops and in supermarkets. Sunflower seeds are mainly purchased in nut shops and mainly in bulk rather than in individual packages.
Consumers have a positive attitude toward sunflower seeds and eat them because they like the taste and they are fun to eat. When they buy sunflower seeds, freshness is their biggest concern. Consumers prefer big, long and roasted sunflower seeds. Salt is not a major item, neither is price. Consumers prefer a darker colored all black seed, but accept stripes. Most of the consumers eat sunflower seeds at home, at night, while watching television.
SPAIN:
Europeans apparently first became acquainted with sunflower seeds in the 16th century, when Spanish explorers brought them to the continent from the Americas. Planted first in Spain for decoration, sunflower use gradually spread north and east through the rest of Europe. At the time, sunflower was seen more as a curiosity than a food or oil source and was often used for medicinal purposes.
Today, over half of Spanish consumers buy sunflower products, with the majority buying and eating roasted sunflower seeds. More females than males buy sunflower products, as do persons up to the age of 25. Sunflower seeds are consumed one seed at a time.
The most popular place for purchasing sunflower products is in confectionery stores. The main reason for buying sunflower products is for snacking purposes, and consumers eat them throughout the day. Spanish consumers like roasted sunflower seeds because of their taste and saltiness.
One of the most common times to eat sunflower seeds is during soccer matches. Previously, sunflower seeds were mainly consumed at home and in cinemas. Nowadays, sunflower seeds are also consumed in mass open-air events, like soccer. On Saturday or Sunday afternoons, soccer fans wearing the scarf and t-shirt of their team go to one of the many dried fruit kiosks, buy American sunflower seeds, get into the stadium and start cheering for their team. During the soccer season over 2,200 metric tons of sunflower seeds are consumed in soccer stadiums. This represents about 10% to 15% of all USA sunflower seed exports to Spain.
AMERICA:
Prehistoric Indians in the present-day United States cultivated and consumed sunflower seeds many centuries ago. The seeds were ground into a fine meal or flour for cakes. Some ancient Indians also used sunflower seeds for medicinal purposes to cure snakebites, cuts and bruises. Nineteenth and early 20th century settlers also ate sunflower seeds, recognizing them as a tasty and nutritious food.
Today, about 25 percent of U.S. confection sunflower seeds are consumed domestically in-shell. Most are roasted and salted in the shell and eaten as a snack. Recently, sunflower seeds became available in flavors such as barbeque, sour cream & onion, Cajun, ranch and hot & spicy.
Sunflower seeds have found their niche in the large market of people who enjoy outdoor activities, subsequently, sales peak in the summer months. Most people in the world, including some Americans, eat sunflower seeds one at a time holding a single seed in their fingers. Baseball players, truckers, outdoor enthusiasts and school kids are among the many groups of consumers who derive pleasure and nutrition from popping a handful of sunflower seeds into their mouths. This method of eating sunflower seeds makes American consumers unique in comparison to most other countries.
Baseball players eat sunflower seeds instead of chewing tobacco in most cases. Truckers enjoy eating sunflower seeds as a way to keep busy and alert during long periods of time spent driving. In the spring and summer months you can find sunflower seeds sold in virtually every type store you can think of in the Midwest. Outdoor enthusiasts and school kids will tell you that there is no better way to enjoy this time of the year than eating "spit'n" seeds.
Sunflower Oil - Your Healthy Choice and its infomation:
Healthy, natural sunflower oil is produced from oil type sunflower seeds. Sunflower oil is light in taste and appearance and supplies more Vitamin E than any other vegetable oil. It is a combination of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats with low saturated fat levels.
The versatility of this healthy oil is recognized by cooks internationally. Sunflower oil is valued for its light taste, frying performance and health benefits.
There are three types of sunflower oil available; NuSun, linoleic and high oleic sunflower oil. All are developed with standard breeding techniques. They differ in oleic levels and each one offers unique properties.
With three types of sunflower oil available, sunflower oil meets the needs of consumer and food manufacturers alike for a healthy and high performance non-transgenic vegetable oil.
Sunflower Seed Oil Extraction:
For the extraction of the oil, the seeds are bruised, crushed and ground to meal in a five-roller mill, under chilled iron or steel cylinders. The meal, after being packed in bags, is placed in hydraulic presses, under a pressure of 300 atmospheres or more, and allowed to remain under pressure for about seven minutes. All edible oils are thus obtained and are known in commerce as 'cold-drawn oils' or 'cold pressed oils.' As a preliminary operation, the seeds are freed from dust, sand and other impurities by sifting in an inclined revolving cylinder or sieving machine, covered with woven wire, having meshes varying according to the size and nature of the seeds operated upon. This preliminary purification is of the greatest importance. The seeds are then passed through a hopper over the rollers, which are finely grooved, so that the seed is cut up whilst passing in succession between the first and second rollers in the series, then between the second and the third, and so on to the last, when the grains are sufficiently bruised, crushed and ground. The distance between the rollers can be easily regulated, so that the seed leaving the bottom roller Las the desired fineness. The resulting more or less coarse meal is either expressed in this state, or subjected to a preliminary heating, according to the quality of the product to be manufactured. The oil exuding in the cold dissolves the smallest amount of colouring matter, etc., and hence has suffered least in its quality.
By pressing in the cold, only part of the oil or fat is recovered. A further quantity is obtained by pressing the seed meal at a somewhat elevated temperature, reached by warming the crushed seeds either immediately after they leave the five-roller mill, or after the 'cold-drawn oil' has been taken off. The cold pressed cakes are first disintegrated, generally under an edge-runner. This oil is of a second-grade quality.
Vertical hydraulic presses are at present almost exclusively in use, the AngloAmerican type of press being most employed. It represents an open press, fitted with a number (usually sixteen) of iron press plates, between which the cakes are inserted by hand. A hydraulic ram then forces the table carrying the cakes against a press-head and the exuding oil flows down the sides into a tank below.
According to the care exercised by the manufacturer in the range of temperature to which the seed is heated, various grades of oils are obtained.
Facts About Trans Fats:
A major new report issued by the National Academies of Science's (NAS) Institute of Medicine (IOM) says there is no safe level of trans fatty acids and recommends consuming as few of them as possible while still consuming a nutritionally adequate diet.
The report concludes that trans fatty acid intake is associated with elevated total and "bad" low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and therefore increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Since low levels of trans fatty acids are found naturally in some nutrient-rich animal products, it is recommended that consumption of the trans fatty acids found in fried or processed foods be minimized as much as possible.
Linoleic Sunflower Oil:
Linoleic sunflower oil is the original sunflower oil and until recently has been the most common type of sunflower oil. It is a polyunsaturated oil with low saturated fat levels, a clean, light taste and is high in Vitamin E.
This type of sunflower oil is predominantly (65%) polyunsaturated. The type of polyunsaturated fat it contains is linoleic acid (an omega-6 acid) and is one of two essential fatty acids. Our bodies need this essential nutrient but can¡¯t make it. It must be supplied by food sources.
The balance of this sunflower oil is monounsaturated fats (oleic) at 21% and a low saturated fat level of 11%. Linoleic sunflower oil is a healthy, delicious vegetable oil choice.
Linoleic sunflower oil is available as a liquid salad oil and is used in margarine and shortening applications. Home users find it an excellent choice for any liquid oil application such as dressings, frying and baking.
Because of the high levels of polyunsaturated fats in linoleic sunflower oil, the oil is susceptible to oxidation during commercial usage, especially frying. Like other highly polyunsaturated oils, such as soybean and canola, it can be hydrogenated to a more stable form.
Nutrition Content and Analysis of Sunflower Seed:
Nutrition Content:
Confection
Sunflower Kernel Nutrient Composition per 1 oz. (28.35 grams)
Calories
160
Calories from fat
129
Total fat
14g
Saturated fat
2 g
Polyunsaturated fat
9 g
Monounsaturated fat
3 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
<2 mg
Total Carbohydrate
5 g
Dietary Fiber
4 g
Sugars
1 g
Protein
6 g
Vitamin A
<3 IU
Vitamin C
<0.2 mg
Calcium
33 mg
Iron
1.9 mg
Vitamin E
11.34 mg
Thiamin
.65 mg
Riboflavin
.07 mg
Niacin
1.3 mg
Folate
64.5 mcg
Magnesium
104 mg
Zinc
1.4 mg
Copper
.4 mg
Nutrition Value:
Fatty Acids: Sunflower seeds and oil contain both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat :the types of fat that may protect the heart. Clinical studies show that higher unsaturated fat diets may be preferable even to low-fat diets because they lower total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL) or bad cholesterol, and triglycerides, while maintaining beneficial high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, which is needed to carry the "bad" cholesterol away.(1-2) ? Almost 90% of the fat in sunflower seeds is good, unsaturated fat.
Plant Protein: Protein supplies amino acids, the building blocks that build, maintain and repair body tissues. Sunflower seeds are a good source of plant protein.
Vitamin E: Vitamin E is an antioxidant that may protect against heart disease by getting rid of harmful molecules called free radicals that can lead to arterioscleroses. Sunflower seeds are the best whole food source of vitamin E.
Selenium: Selenium works with vitamin E as an antioxidant and protects cells from damage that may lead to cancer, heart disease, and other health problems.
Copper: Copper helps the body carry oxygen to red blood cells and produce energy in the cells. Copper is also a vital part of some antioxidant enzymes in the body, thus protecting from oxidative stress. While a copper deficiency is rare, this trace mineral is essential to an energy-rich life.
Folate and B vitamins: Folate, a B vitamin, plays an essential role in making new body cells by helping to form the DNA and RNA that contain each cell's "master plan" for reproduction. Folate also pairs with vitamin B-12 to help form hemoglobin in red blood cells, which allows them to carry optimal amounts of oxygen. Folate is involved in the removal of homocysteine, an amino acid thought to promote heart disease, from the blood. A large population study from Harvard University shows an association between higher intakes of folate and lower risk of heart disease.
Other B vitamins are essential for producing energy from food. Sunflower seeds contain pantothenic acid, vitamin B6, thiamin and niacin.
Zinc and Iron: Zinc is a mineral that is vital for keeping your immune system strong, fending off infections and healing wounds.Iron is essential in carrying oxygen from the lungs, through the blood, and to every body cell.
Fiber: Fiber,the indigestible part of plant foods,promotes good health by helping to lower blood cholesterol, manage blood glucose and prevent constipation.
Conclusion:
The value of sunflower seed as part of a healthy diet for parrots has been recognized by aviculturist for a long time. Almost every manufacturer of a parrot mix includes sunflower. In addition it is used in many of the pellet or extruded diets.
As in any other food, moderation is the key. Flying and breeding parrots require considerable amount of energy therefore the percentage of sunflower in a varied diet can be increased. Naturally, for less active parrots the percentage should be reduced.
Sunflower seeds are a high energy food source for your birds.
Flower formation:
1. The first stage of the flower formation
2. The flower is still covered, but faces the sun
3. The flower is nearly completely exposed
4. The flower is completely exposed
Scientific References:
1.Sunflower Seed or sunflower Kernels:what is Marigold of Peru. Corona Solis. Sola Indianus. Chrysanthemum Peruvianum?
Claims & Warning:
Claims: Information this web site presented is meant for Nutritional Benefit and as an educational starting point only, for use in maintenance and promotion good health in cooperation with a common knowledge base reference...Furthermore,it based solely on the traditional and historic use or legend of a given herb from the garden of Adonis. Although every effort has been made to ensure its accurate, please note that some info may be outdated by more recent scientific developments......
Pharmakon Warning: The order of knowledge is not the transparent order of forms and ideas,as one might be tempted retrospectively to interpret it; it is the antidote....(Dissemination,Plato's Pharmacy,II.The Ingredients:Phantasms,Festivals,and Paints;138cf. Jacques Derrida.).
And as it happens,the technique of imitation,along with the production of the simulacrum,has always been in Plato's eyes manifestly magical,thaumaturgical:......and the same things appear bent and straight to those who view them in water and out,or concave and convex,owing to similar errors of vision about colors, and there is obviously every confusion of this sort in our souls.And so scene painting (skiagraphia) in its exploitation of this weakness of four nature falls nothing short of witchcraft (thaumatopoia), and so do jugglery and many other such contrivances.(Republic X,602c-d;cf.also 607c).
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MDidea Extracts Professional
Proper Special Extract Series:
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Serie No.:P040.Basic Data Sheet Download
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seminal trace...Sunflower seed Extract.sunflower seed kernel extract.Extract of sunflower,Extract of sunflower seeds,Helianthus annuus extract,Sunflower extract.HELIANTHUS ANNUUS SEED EXTRACT...
Basic Botanical Info:
Taxonomy:
Litter: Even the stems and seedless heads need not be wasted where fowls are kept. Many may prefer to use them as fire-kindlers, but they will, when thoroughly dry, come in useful as litter for the laying-houses. When dry, they can be passed through a chaffcutting machine and be added to the other litter - peat-moss or dried leaves. They need to be made into a scratchable material for hens, but for ducks, the material can be placed deeply in the house as a bedding. Ducks need litter to 'squat' on rather than to scratch in.
Scientific References:
Claims & Warning:
