If you close your eyes and imagine a Tuscan landscape, it’s hard not to picture a field of sunflowers or girasole.
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They are as much a part of the vistas as olive groves and vineyards. These magnificent yellow flowers are planted each spring and perform their role admirably throughout the summer, standing tall and delighting all who seek them out. They generously pose for hours on end for cameras, never complaining or shying away from the sun. And they are a beautiful addition to any table setting.
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Then in the fall, after months of performing, they stand together and begin their final bow.
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Even after they have lost their bright yellow color, sunflowers still have much to offer in harvest. As mentioned before in a previous post, …
- Sunflower seeds are edible, whether eaten raw, cooked, roasted or dried. They are a nutritious snack containing protein, vitamins A, B, and E, calcium, nitrogen and iron.
- Some people ground the seeds to make flour for cakes and breads.
- The seed heads are a source of food for birds and animals. Sunflower seeds are a major ingredient in commercial birdseed.
- Sunflower oil is a popular vegetable oil known for its light colour, mild flavour, low levels of saturated fats and ability to withstand high cooking temperatures.
- The oil can also be added to soap, lubricants and candles.
- Sunflower oil can help relieve skin conditions, hemorrhoids and ulcers.
- Sunflower roots can remove radiation from soils and water. They were used to clean up the Chernobyl disaster.
- The root of the plant is also used in traditional herbal medicine to treat snake bites and spider bites.
- The flowers can be used to make an all natural dye.
- The stalks are used to make paper and clothes.
So, as the sunflowers take a well deserved bow, it’s nice to know we benefit from them in so many other ways.
Ovation, please!
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Ciao,
Judy
