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Sunflower Seed

The sunflower plant originated in western North America. It is thought to have been domesticated around 1000 B.C. by Native Americans. Spanish explorers brought the sunflower to Europe in 1510. However, it was not until the late 1800s when the flower was introduced to Russia that the sunflower became a food crop. In 1860, Russian farmers made significant improvements in the way that the sunflower was cultivated. 

During this time, they became the world's largest producer of sunflower seeds. Today, they remain a world leader along with Europe, Argentina, and the United States. Production in the United States has emphasized oil producing varieties, but snack food producing sunflowers have steadily increased. Sunflowers are technically classified as Helianthus annulus.

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They are a large plant and are grown throughout the world because of their relatively short growing season. In the United States, some varieties reach maturity from 90-100 days after planting. Domesticated sunflowers typically have a single stalk topped by a large flower. This is significantly different from the smaller, multiply branched wild sunflower. Sunflowers have large yellow, ray flower petals on the outer edge that do not produce seeds.

 The sunflower head is composed of 1,000-2,000 tiny little flowers joined together at the base. These flowers are disk-shaped and can be brown, yellow or purple. https://www.ozstarmachinery.com/ During the growing season, the individual flowers are each pollinated. Seed development then begins moving from the outer rim of the flower toward the center. It generally takes 30 days after the last flower is pollinated for the plant to mature. The sunflower plants reach various heights, but most are from 5-7 ft (1.52-2.1 m) tall. The width of the flower heads is relatively large, typically between 3-6 in (7.62-15.24 cm), although some can reach more than a foot.

An exception is the dwarf varieties that are only 3-4 ft (0.91-1.22 m) high and have smaller flower heads. A common characteristic of sunflowers is a tendency for their flowering heads to follow the movement of the sun during the day. This phenomenon, called heliotropism, has the benefit of reducing bird damage and disease development.

Raw Materials

The seed is the primary ingredient in all sunflower seed products. They are four sided and flat. They are generally a quarter inch long and an eighth of an inch wide. They have a black seed coat with dark or grey stripes. The coat, or hull, surrounds a small kernel which is composed of about 20% protein and 30% lipids. Additionally, it contains a high level of iron and dietary fiber. The high linoleic acid content of the kernel makes it prone to rancidity and thus gives it a limited shelf life.

While plain sunflower seeds are sold as a snack food, most varieties are soaked or coated with ingredients to improve the seed's characteristics. Flavor enhancers are often added to increase appeal and differentiate product types. Salt is the most common flavor enhancer. It can provide a subtle taste effect that removes the "off flavor inherent in raw sunflower seeds.

 A small amount of sugar or dry corn syrup can be added to impart a sweet flavor. Spices and herbs such as garlic, onion powder, or paprika can also have a unique effect on how a sunflower seed tastes. Both natural and artificial flavors can be included. Öz Star Machinery company provides many other machines such as coffee Roaster, fryer, coating pans, sugar coating drums etc..

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Beyond flavoring ingredients, manufacturers include texture and appearance modifiers, antioxidants and preservatives with sunflower seed recipes. Texture modifiers such as maltodextrin or cornstarch help control the feel of the sunflowers when they are put in the mouth. Color modifiers are used to change the seed's appearance. Typically, natural coloring materials are used. These modifiers are useful for sunflower flavors such as barbeque or sour cream. Antioxidants are sometimes added to improve the sunflower seed's shelf life by inhibiting natural rancidity reactions. Salt has the added benefit of also preserving the seeds.