Chia up North?

[oxbowfarm]

Jan 16, 2018 19:59:59 GMT -5 ethin said:

Basil seeds are said to be just as useful if not more so than chia, but that's probably a discussion for another thread.

I disagree! Lets have that discussion here. Joseph Lofthouse is already using a Non-Chia Chia, so an open discussion of omega 3 producing seed plants is super interesting.

To my mind, the fundamental problem is harvesting. Lots of these plants are fairly easy to grow, flax, camelina are basically weedy species, and lots of the Chia/Salvia/Mints are pretty easy to grow as well. There's a bit difference in growing a crop and efficiently harvesting/processing it. Tiny seeded semi-wild species offer lots of issues with uneven ripening/shattering, tiny harvest windows etc. So widening the discussion to find widely adapted species which maximize the omega 3 bang per buck is useful. IMO

I'm also interested in anyones familiarity with links to research on the omega 3 composition or other components of interest for various species.

[reed]

I harvest basil by putting a bag over the stems, bending them over and shaking. Works fine just for enough to save for seed but doubt it would work to harvest quantity. 

Is this true?? "Regardless of what one calls it, purslane contains more omega 3 fatty acids than any other plant source in the solar system, and an extraordinary amount for a plant, some 8.5 mg for every gram of weight. ..." from www.eattheweeds.com/purslane-omega-3-fatty-weed/ 

[Joseph Lofthouse]

USDA nutrition database says that purslane greens contain 0.05 mg of omega-3 oils per gram of purslane greens. The article says, "8.5 mg for every gram of weight". Regardless of where the data came from, and who did the studies, they are in the same ballpark, that's a very low amount of omega-3 oil. It would take something like 15 pounds of purslane greens to meet the RDA for omega 3 oils.

The nutrition database says that spinach greens contain 0.14% Omega-3 oils, which is about 3X more Omega-3 oils than purslane.

Flax seeds contain 23% Omega-3 oils. (500X more by weight than purslane greens), so it takes a little more than a tablespoon of flax seeds to meet the RDA for omega 3. Chia seed is about 18% omega-3 oils.

The article states, "beta carotene — seven times more of that than carrots". For 100 g of food, the USDA nutrition database states, "Carrot 8 mg, Purslane 2 mg". So according to USDA carrots have 4X more beta carotene.

The article states, "six times more E than spinach". The USDA database states, "Spinach 2 mg, Purslane 0.1 mg" per 100g, so 20 times more E in spinach than in purslane.

[Joseph Lofthouse]

In looking more at the nutrition database, it says that basil greens contain 0.3% omega-3, and peppermint greens are 0.4%. The ratios of omega 6 to 3 are 1/5 and 1/11 respectively. I suppose those ratios might manifest in the seeds as well.

For my nutrition research I use the food database at cronometer.com/ It contains nutritional studies/data from the usa, canada, and europe. It's scope is limited to foods that people commonly eat, for example, it doesn't list "basil seeds".

[Walk]

Jan 17, 2018 10:32:47 GMT -5 oxbowfarm said:

Jan 16, 2018 19:59:59 GMT -5 ethin said:

I'm also interested in anyones familiarity with links to research on the omega 3 composition or other components of interest for various species.

Here's a link to the data we compiled on Omega-3. We haven't researched the amount of oil contained in each seed.

[steev]

Would it work to have a row of chia, lay a tarp on one side, and whap it on the other with a dowel once in a while?

[ethin]

After doing some actual research instead of just relying upon what I thought I read somewhere it would seem that basil seed doesn't have much if any omega 3(compared to chia). However if any of the other purported health benefits are true (antioxidants, anticancer, antiviral, antibacterial, antimicrobial, antispasmodic, antiseptic, anti fungal) then they might make a good complement for chia. Basil seeds also seems to be mucilaginous and are said to have a slight basil flavor (I wonder if thai basil seed tastes like licorice?).

[Joseph Lofthouse]

At least in my garden, I collect about 20X more Clary sage seeds per row-foot than basil seeds. Come to think of it, the Columbiana chia was perhaps 5X more productive as a seed crop than basil.

[ethin]

From my experience with growing basil it seems to me that most of the varieties I've grown are suffering from being bred for leaf production or flavor and would benefit from some survival of the fittest TLC.

[oxbowfarm]

One glaring downside for basil in my climate is the highly virulent strain of basil downy mildew that's been going around for the last 5-6 years, which makes keeping basil alive a PITA. It would be interesting to know the seed composition of Tulsi/Holy Basil which seems immune to the mildew and is a much better/more reliable seed producer for me. I don't particularly love it as an herb, but it would be interesting as a seed crop possibly.

[reed]

Jan 17, 2018 14:57:48 GMT -5 Joseph Lofthouse said:

In looking more at the nutrition database, it says that basil greens contain 0.3% omega-3, and peppermint greens are 0.4%. The ratios of omega 6 to 3 are 1/5 and 1/11 respectively. I suppose those ratios might manifest in the seeds as well.

For my nutrition research I use the food database at cronometer.com/ It contains nutritional studies/data from the usa, canada, and europe. It's scope is limited to foods that people commonly eat, for example, it doesn't list "basil seeds".

Sounds like a much better resource that eattheweeds! Thanks!

I have rarely planted basil but the woman always throws some in under the tomatoes. Three or four seasons ago it started coming up wild so I adopted the wild patch and started saving a little seed. There were just 1/2 dozen or so plants the first year, as of last year it came back on it's own again. After learning about CMS I'v been careful to keep track of and only save seed from the volunteer plants. The volunteer has small dark color wrinkled leaves and very strong smelling. The seed, especially when freshly collected do taste like basil.



As far as the omega-3 goes what about other types of sage, do they all have at least some? Unfortunately I don't know the specific varieties but I have three kinds that overwinter and occasionally volunteer. They are all a light greenish but with different shaped leaves.

[Walk]

Easiest way we've found to eat purslane seeds is to harvest tops that have some seed set and eat the green seed capsules along with the leaves.