How to fry sunflower seeds

Sunflower seeds, like potatoes, corn and tomatoes, came to us after the discovery of America by Columbus, and the Spanish conquistadors brought them to Europe. At first, sunflowers were considered an ornamental plant, the use of seeds was also not immediately disclosed. In Russia, they began to be cultivated in manor estates and fields only in the first half of the 19th century.

Once, one Russian peasant got the idea to extract oil from sunflower seeds. He did it with a hand press. At the end of the 19th century oil, cheap, but at the same time tasty, gained recognition in Europe and even America!

Sunflower Seeds: Useful Properties

Sunflower seeds themselves are a unique product. Their biological value is higher than the value of meat or eggs, and they are much easier to digest. They contain more vitamin D than cod liver oil, and in fact this particular product is considered its richest source. Substances that are contained in seeds, improve the condition of the mucous membranes and skin, tidy acid-base balance. Therefore, sunflower is often used in cosmetology.

Seed proteins include many useful amino acids that provide a normal metabolism of fats in the body, they also contain a lot of unsaturated fatty acids - palmettic, linoleic, oleic, arachidonic, stearic, etc. Also in seeds there is a substance called vitamin F, it not synthesized in the body, but for normal life is necessary. Without unsaturated fatty acids, nerve fibers and cell membranes become vulnerable, begin to break down earlier, excess cholesterol accumulates, and this contributes to the development of atherosclerosis and heart attack.

The seeds also contain tannins, phytin, carotenoids, tartaric and citric acids, carbohydrates, potassium and phosphorus, magnesium, the latter, by the way, is even more in them than in rye bread. Just this particular mineral is so necessary for the normal functioning of the heart. Also, this product contains other minerals: chromium, copper, manganese, cobalt, molybdenum, iodine, fluorine, iron, zinc, selenium, silicon, sodium. And potassium seeds contain almost 5 times more than oranges or bananas.

They also contain fat-soluble vitamins A, E, D, vitamins of group B. Moreover, there is so much vitamin E in them that only 50 g of this product will be enough to replenish the daily rate of this substance. And as you know - vitamin E is a strong antioxidant, which has a pronounced anticarcinogenic property, which protects the human body from all sorts of radiation and is a means of preventing atherosclerosis.

But with all its obvious advantages, seeds have obvious disadvantages, because, because of all the components that are not enriched, they are very high in calories: 100 g of the product contains up to 700 calories!

Adherents of a healthy lifestyle, nutritionists and medical specialists often advise to use seeds as a preventive measure for various diseases and even as a therapeutic product.

With their help, you can prevent diseases of the cardiovascular system, for this it is enough to eat 100 g of this product daily. By the way, they still facilitate liver disease.

People who are engaged in hard work and athletes, seeds are also shown to use - they strengthen the muscular system. After injuries, infectious diseases, fractures, the sunflower helps the tissues recover.

Sunflower oil is obtained from the purified seeds, which is also not without benefit: it can be used for the prevention and treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, lungs, thrombophlebitis, toothache, in cosmetology.

How to fry seeds in a pan?

Roast seeds need to be able, because here, too, has its own secrets. First you need to purchase a quality product. You need to pay your attention to the puzatenky and medium-sized seeds, because they will be oily and sweet after frying.

1. In the 1st line, the seeds should be thoroughly washed in a colander under running water, then put on a heated frying pan (it is better to take a cast iron). By the way, the sunflower in the pan should be a bit so that it roasts evenly. You can pre-lubricate the pan with sunflower oil, but this is a matter of taste.
2. The next step of frying seeds is the choice of the optimal temperature. At the very beginning the stove should be turned on at full capacity and then reduced to medium temperature. Most often, roasting seeds takes 5-15 minutes. But do not forget one little trick - they need to be mixed regularly, preferably with a wooden spatula. You can check the readiness of the seeds by tasting them or looking at the color of the roasted kernel. If the seeds are ready, the core will have a cream color.

How to fry seeds with salt? If you cook roasted seeds with salt observing all the rules, they are much tastier and more fragrant than the purchased ones. How to fry the seeds with salt? In the 1st place, the seeds should be rinsed well, this will help remove all dirt from their surface.

Now you should take a frying pan, preferably a cast-iron pan, and heat it. During frying, the temperature of the fire will vary, but at the very beginning it must be the highest.

Seeds should be poured into the pan, but this should be done gradually. Now they must be interfered regularly, preferably with a wooden spatula. During their warming up, spoiled seeds should be removed from the pan, the remains of sunflower flowers, open kernels, which can often be caught in the raw product.

Now you should take 100 ml of water, salt it to taste and pour it into the pan. Sunflower seeds will thus be steamed and will get a salty taste. As soon as the moisture does not remain, and the seeds begin to click, the fire needs to be reduced, and they should be stirred more intensively.

The product can be checked for readiness by cleaning it - if the kernels have turned a cream color, then they are ready!

Features of cooking of sunflower seeds in the microwave

In our time, the method of cooking in the microwave is gaining popularity, the seeds here are far from an exception! In order to prepare sunflower seeds in this way, they should be thoroughly washed, lightly sprinkled with vegetable oil and sprinkled with salt. Then transfer to a refractory dish, a layer of 2-3 cm.

Now you should set the maximum power on the microwave and the timer for 1.5 minutes. After this time, the seeds should be removed, mixed and leveled. Microwave power to reduce the average and set the time - 1 min. So the sunflower should be heated 2 times, in the interval it is necessary to mix thoroughly. At the end of the preparation, the seeds should be tried, if they are not ready yet, they should be heated once more at medium power for 1 minute.

Knowing the small tricks of roasting seeds, they will not be difficult to cook at home. The sunflower is not only tasty, but also a particularly useful product. It must be included in the daily diet. But keep moderation! In the seeds of high calorie, so they are not suitable for diet.