Topic: Has anyone grown their own sesame seeds before?

[Deb P]

I came across an eBay item selling sesame seeds to grow; the plants look quite attractive too. This got me thinking; presumably I could try and germinate the ones in my spice drawer! Has anyone tried this, if so what conditions do they like and did you get much of a crop?

[sawfish]

I grew a small 6 foot 'field' of linseed last year and that was great, lovely intense blue flowers.

[alienwithaview]

Ditto. Haven't tried sesame before, but the linseed was lovely in amongst the herbs, and right now, despite the frost, at the bottom of my garden I have linseed growing, which of course is not blossoming now.
Try it, and let us know how you're getting on, please.

[Ceratonia]

Plants for a future says UK is probably too cool for growing sesame (but then says some people have done it). Joy Larkcom's "oriental vegetables" book also mentions it.

Lots of detail here:

http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Sesamum+indicum

So do post on here if you try it.

Farmers near me grow linseed some years. The fields look like lakes from a distance for a couple of weeks - beautiful.

Sawfish - did you use it for flax, or oil or anything like that?

[Deb P]

Thanks for that info......I'm tempted to interplant with sweetcorn as suggested!
Linseed sounds lovely too, I wonder if OH could make his own linseed oil?

[Baccy Man]

There are instructions for cold pressing oils at home here. The article focuses on sunflower oil but the same principle should work for linseed too. This method would give you raw linseed oil but if boiled linseed oil was required it would be a bit more tricky, the boiling point is higher than that of water and has to be closely controlled. If you don't pay attention for a moment you could have a truly catasrophic flash fire. It can literally explode.

http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel_library/oilpress.html

[sawfish]

I made nothing with it, I imagine my 6 foot square patch might have made enough oil for one stirfry.

Although thats not the point, I should have distilled that teaspoon of oil and been proud to have used it in my stirfry..

[Amazin]

I think I've got some viable sesame seeds somewhere, can't remember where I got them. I managed to get some oilseed rape seeds which I'll be trying this year, but I might try linseed as well, it sounds good.