PLANT PROFILE

NAME: Amaranth

SPECIES / FAMILY: Amaranthus Palmeri / Amaranthaceae

COMMON NAME(S): Palmer Amaranth, pigweed

CONDITIONS: sun/shade

PARTS:	EDIBLE	TASTE	RAW / COOK	SEASON
All
Shoots
Leaves		spinach	COOK	Late Spring-Fall
Buds/Flowers
Fruits
Roots
Seeds		nutty	COOK	Summer/Fall
Nuts
Pods
Stalk
Bark

PORTION: small/herb

COMMENT: Amaranth - Superfood of the Aztecs, superweed to Big Ag. Many species. Delicious cooked leaves. Tastes like spinach. Place leaves in boiling water and remove from stove to sit for 20 minutes, leaving the lid off. Should be thoroughly cooked, but retain green color. Seeds can be eaten roasted, ground into flour, or popped like popcorn.

CAUTION: Although PFAF says that the stalk is edible, the stalk may contain too much fiber for smooth digestion and can result in hard bulky stools. One person said that they cook the stems in a pressure cooker, which appears to break down the fiber so that it can be easily digested. Also, Amaranth contains oxalic acid; to minimize, boil with lid off // https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Amaranthus+palmeri

NUTRITION/MEDICINAL:

o https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-869/amaranth The leaves, stems and seeds of Palmer amaranth are edible and highly nutritious. The leaves are cooked as a spinach. The seed is also cooked and then used with cereal flours in porridge and breads. (1)

LOOK-A-LIKES / RELATED: mat and spiny amaranths

POISONOUS LOOK-A-LIKES: deadly nightshade https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atropa_belladonna

OTHER USES: Yellow and green dyes can be obtained from the whole plant (1)

SOURCE LINKS (includes medicinal info and other uses):