Flax is one of the oldest cultivated crops that humans have grown. It has been used for centuries as a source of fiber, oil, and food. Flax seeds are incredibly nutritious and can be used in various ways to create products such as fabric, paper, cooking oil, and even feed for livestock. As such, the harvesting, preparation, and storage of flax seed is an important part of its production.
The harvesting of flax seeds is a delicate process since the quality of the seed can be significantly affected by how it’s handled. The goal during harvesting is to ensure that the seeds are stored and maintained in a way that maximizes their germination rate and minimizes any damage due to poor handling.
When to Harvest Flax Seeds
The best time to harvest flax seeds is when the seed pods are dry, yellow, or brown in color and if they are slightly open. It’s also important to make sure that all the plants have been harvested before the first frost so that you can get as much yield as possible.
How to Harvest Flax Seeds
If flax is planted in the garden, and not in the field, you can harvest it manually. To harvest raw materials, the plant is pulled out by the root, and tied into small sheaves. Then flax is dried and the seed boxes are separated. If the number of plants is small, you can carefully tear off the fruit boxes from the stem without tearing out the plant completely. The seeds are shaken out and cleaned of all excess. If they are wet, they are dried a little.
Preparing Flax Seeds for Storage
The collected seeds should be cleaned from waste, weed seeds, and other impurities. This is done by sieving, winnowing, or using special machines.
Shelf Life and Storage Conditions
After cleaning the seed material, it can be stored in special bags or containers. The temperature of the storage should not exceed 59°F-77°F and relative humidity should be no more than 70%. When storing flax seeds, it is important to observe ventilation rules and take into account their shelf life of up to 3 years.