Sunflower Seeds

So we managed to grow 1 lonely sunflower (thanks to the 2yr old digging them up), can you eat the seeds? I just had a look and pulled one of the seeds apart, i'm assuming they need to be dried, do you store the sunflower head somewhere whole until it dries or can you pull all the seeds out and dry them that way? Can you dry them in the oven or is that too fast? Or should we jst save the seeds to be planted next year?........man we suck at gardening!!!!

You can harvest sunflower seeds as soon as the center flowers turn brown or the backs of the heads turn yellow. Cut them, leaving a piece of stem to hang them in a well ventilated place to finish drying. Cover them with netting, to catch falling seeds as they dry.
They can be allowed to dry on the stalk, but you'll have to cover them this way to keep the birds from eating them all before you can harvest them for yourself!
ROASTING
When the seeds can be rubbed easily from the head, it's dry and the seeds are ready to be roasted. Remove them from the heads and pick out any pieces of stem or other bits.
Mix a quarter of a cup of salt to a cup of water, and soak the seeds overnight. Spread them on baking trays and roast in a low oven (150 to 200 degrees) until completely dry. Stir them once or twice during cooking, this will take 3 or 4 hours. If you intend to store them, put them in jars while still warm and close tightly. They keep well in a cool dark place.