Harvest time, drying and processing

When is quinoa harvested?

Quinoa is best served in mid / late April cultivated. Depending on the variety, the Andean grain has a development time of 120 to 210 days. That means, the harvest time depends on sowing and variety between mid-August and mid-October.
Ideally, the grain dries on the plant. This can be seen from the fact that the grains no longer look fresh green but rather brownish dry. In any case, you should harvest the Inca grain before the weather gets dirty, otherwise it can mold you.

How is quinoa harvested?

When you've decided it's time to harvest your quinoa, do the following:

• Cut the stalks with a Secateurs or one Scythe below the ears.
• Load the large ears of wheat on one for transport wheelbarrow or similar.
• Hang the ears of wheat upside down under a roof to dry.

Drying quinoa after harvest

Drying the quinoa is the be-all and end-all of the harvest. The best thing to do, as I said, is to wait until the grain has dried off before harvesting, but there will still be some residual moisture. Therefore, you should always hang quinoa in the dry for a few days after harvesting.

Separate the quinoa grains from the plant

In Peru, the quinoa plants are traditionally literally beaten: the dried plants are opened put a plastic tarpaulin and threshed with wooden sticks until all the grains fell off the plant are. You are welcome to try this or you can roll the individual ears of wheat over a bowl between your hands and loosen the grains a little less aggressively.

Soak before preparing

Quinoa contains many bitter substances that affect the otherwise nutty aroma. To reduce the bitter aroma, quinoa is soaked overnight. You should definitely pour off the soaking water, as this is where the bitter substances are concentrated. Soaking will also reduce cooking time. If you want to get even more nutrients out of your quinoa, you can make quinoa sprouts. You will find how to proceed and delicious recipes here.

Digression

Nutritional values ​​of quinoa

Quinoa is considered a superfood. Why? Because it contains a lot of valuable nutrients. 100g of cooked quinoa contain, among other things:

• Protein: 4.4g
• Dietary fiber: 2.8g
• Calcium: 17mg
• Iron: 1.49mg
• Magnesium: 64mg
• Phosphorus: 152mg
• Potassium: 172mg
• Sodium: 7mg
• Zinc: 1.09mg