How to Peel | Remove Sunflower Seed Shell at Home

Removing sunflower seeds shells doesn’t seem so easy as one may assume; the seeds are very tiny such that it makes it difficult to remove the shells. If you have been looking for an easy way to peel your sunflower seeds at home; either for eating or for commercial purposes, you are in the right place.

In this article, you are going to learn the simple steps on how to peel or remove sunflower seed shells at home without much effort. To peel sunflower seeds, first of all, you need the seeds to be dried.

You will get to know the simple and quick way to remove the shells of sunflower seeds at home. Instead of peeling the shell from the seeds with your hand or teeth which takes a long time time. The best and easy way is to use this hack.

A peeler or machine is not needed to peel your sunflower seed; what is required here is a mortar and pestle. You can easily do this at home which makes it easier.

See the Youtube video below on how to peel sunflower seeds for an easy explanation:

Dry the sunflower seeds first

After harvesting your sunflower seed, you will need to dry them properly in the sun or simply roast them to get the shells dried. Roasting the seeds adds a lot of flavor and smokiness. This will be needed especially if you are going to use them to make sunflower oil at home or you want to grind the seed and use it to make soup or you want to simply eat them as snacks

To dry the seeds, simply spread them in a tray or on a wide surface and leave to in the sun to dry. Make sure to turn them from time to time to get them dried evenly and properly. If you don’t want to dry them, just toast the seeds in a pan on a medium flame to roast them; I love the smoky aroma that comes from the roasted sunflower seeds, they are delicious and addictive to snack on.

How to peel or remove sunflower seed shells at home

1. Start by cleaning the sunflower seeds first, then dry them in the sun; it is easier to peel the dry seeds than the damp seeds.
2. Scoop about 1/2 cup of the seeds into the mortar and use a pestle to firmly roll the seed against the sides of the mortar. Be careful not to pound the seeds because they are going to get crushed and messy.
3. Gently roll the pestle firmly against the seeds in a circular motion until you notice the shells separating apart. This can take up about 5 to 10 minutes to remove one cup of the seeds.
4. When you are done, pour the peeled seeds in a tray and repeat the same process with the remaining seeds.
5. Once done peeling all the sunflower seeds, air-blow the seeds just the same way you separate roasted peanuts skin. You can even use a hand dryer to air-blow the peels or simply blow out the skin with your mouth.
6. After separating the peels, you can pick out the unpeeled sunflower seeds and return them to the mortar and peel the again.
7. If your sunflower seeds appear dusty after peeling them, rinse or simply clean them with some paper towels to make them neat.
8. Store sunflower seed in an airtight bottle and snack on them whenever you want.