How to Identify Amaranth in your share:
This is a dark green summer green, with intensely pink and red striping on the greens. We distribute it in bunches, and they tend to be a bit large and floppy. It’s a relative to spinach (you will taste some of that), and is also called callaloo in the Caribbean or “leaf amaranth” (to distinguish it from the amaranth grown for grain or flowers).
When it's in Season at Hartwood Farm:
Summer--amaranth loves heat and dies with the frost. For CSA members, you can expect to see this in 1 box per season. For market customers, we usually have this for 2 to 4 weeks per season. We grow this crop to substitute for spinach in the time of our season when it gets too hot for spinach!
Crop Category and What it Tastes Like:
Cooking Greens!
Amaranth is definitely a cooking green, as when it’s raw it has that strong spinach oxalic acid flavor to it. When cooked it has a pleasant mellow spinach-like flavor as well as a gorgeous hot pink color.
How to Handle and Store:
Like most greens, amaranth stores best in the crisper drawer in a loosely closed bag. If fairly dry, can keep for two weeks in the fridge. If it’s starting to go by, it usually starts turning black or desiccates.
How to Prep for Use:
The stems tend to get woody when they are larger, so we generally remove the lower part (and sometimes all) of the stems. Younger tips of the stem can still be tender though. Wash and chop to desired size.
As a heads up, amaranth likes to share it’s beautiful color with everything in the dish with it—be prepared for to see things like rice or onions cooked with these greens to turn hot pink!
Ways to Cook and Eat:
You definitely want to cook this (it's a bit strong raw). Typically amaranth's sautéed, stir fried, or used in soup. It can be used as a substitute for recipes that call for chard or spinach or beet greens.
Quick and Dirty Hangry Farmer Go-To Preparations:
We generally sauté it, but have had fun trying some more adventurous Caribbean recipes (search for "callaloo") out. It pairs well with peppers, garlic and onions, and coconut milk, and is a main ingredient in many of the Jamaican greens dishes.
Typical time to:
Steam—1 to 4 minutes
Sauté—2 to 5 minutes
Bake—Not Recommended
Boil—Only recommended if you are making a quick soup with it
Our Favorite Recipes:
Stir Fried Pink Amaranth Greens (The Wok of Life)—this is how we usually prepare it (you can use a saute or cast iron pan if you don’t have a wok and it’s fine). It’s also good with peanut oil rather than sesame oil.