Redhead Quinoa
Quinoa is a great backyard grain crop--hulless, easy to grow and thresh, drought-resistant, high-yielding, and easy to cook. Very high in protein, and they are complete proteins, like eggs. Redhead is high-yielding, with excellent flavor. The red inflorescence produces grain that is pale rosy ivory. This variety is the most resistant to sprouting in the head in fall rains, an important new trait for North American quinoa growers.
Quinoa gives a better yield of grain than many similar crops simply because birds seldom eat it. The reason is that each grain has a coating of bitter soap-like compounds (saponins) that deters both birds and insect pests. A blender or food processor can be used to agitate the water so that rinsing is quick and easy. Soaking and blanching are other methods. the rinse water can be used as laundry soap. To get a good crop, you need either daytime temperatures below 80 degrees, or elsecool nights. We are able to grow it successfully here in spite of 100-degree days; our nightime temps drop to the 50's or 60's. If you live where summer nights are hot, I would suggest growing amaranth instead. Our seed grown by the breeder, Frank Morton, of Shoulder to Shoulder Farm and Wild Garden Seeds. He has pledged it as an open-source, OSSI variety. 300 seeds