flax

2015-04-17

Flax (Linum usitatissimum), also known as common flax or linseed, is a member of the genus Linum in the family Linaceae. It is a food and fiber crop cultivated in cooler regions of the world.

Textiles made from flax are known in the Western countries as linen, and traditionally used for bed sheets, underclothes, and table linen. Its oil is known as linseed oil. In addition to referring to the plant itself, the word "flax" may refer to the unspun fibers of the flax plant.

The plant species is known only as a cultivated plant, and appears to have been domesticated just once from the wild species Linum bienne, called pale flax.

The earliest evidence of humans using wild flax as a textile comes from the present-day Republic of Georgia, where spun, dyed, and knotted wild flax fibers were found in Dzudzuana Cave and dated to the Upper Paleolithic, 30,000 years ago. Flax was first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent region. Evidence exists of a domesticated oilseed flax with increased seed size by 9,000 years ago from Tell Ramad in Syria. Use of the crop steadily spread, reaching as far as Switzerland and Germany by 5,000 years ago. In China and India, domesticated flax was cultivated also at least 5,000 years ago.

Flaxseed and its oil have repeatedly been demonstrated to be nontoxic and are generally recognized as safe for human consumption.

sprouting flax seeds

Flax seeds can/should be sprouted before consuming them. It considerably improves digestibility by making the food content more readily available.

Flax seeds sprout very quickly, within 6-12 hrs.

INGREDIENTS

This is what you need:

viable flax seeds

Pic1: flax seed pods
wikipedia picture

Directions

Purchase viable flax seeds.
Soak the seeds in water.
They should start swelling / sprouting within 6-12 hrs.
Be careful not to damage the sprouts when planting.
Keep moist until the plants have established themselves.
Within eight weeks of sowing, the plant can reach 10–15 cm (3.9–5.9 in) in height, reaching 70–80 cm (28–31 in) within 50 days.
Transplant to flower garden when 3-5" high.
Flax is self-seeding in suitable conditions.

To make linseed soup:

Sprout the seeds at least 24 hrs. before cooking.
Cook 20-30 minutes or to desired doneness.

Pic2: flax seeds
Pic3: sprouting seeds 12 hrs.
Pic4: sprouting seeds 12 hrs.

Pic5: planting the seeds
Pic6: flax flowers
Pic7: rice & linseed soup

sprouting flax seeds

See also: Deming, NM gardens, animals and more and avemariasongs.org

See also: Deming, NM gardens, animals and more
and avemariasongs.org