It’s pumpkin season! What we often forget this time of year is that pumpkins are an edible fruit, not just a flavor, spice or coffee creamer. After going to the pumpkin patch and carving your Jack-O-Lantern you’re left with all the seeds…what should you do with them? ROAST THEM! Here are a few tips for how to get the best results:
First things first:
#1. Clean your pumpkin seeds well: You really want to wash them really well and discard of all pumpkin fibers. Those stringy slimy parts of the seeds are NOT what we want. So, grab your colander and clean them…and then clean them again!
#2. Boil pumpkin seeds before roasting: If you are short on time, you could skip this step, but we highly recommend that you boil your pumpkin seeds before roasting them. It helps with the cleaning process AND makes for extra crispy seeds.
#3. Keep a watch on them when they are baking: Bake your seeds for 40 minutes, but be sure to check them every 10 minutes. Keep an eye on them during the cooking process so that they don’t burn!
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Scrape out and remove seeds from your two pumpkins. Wash and clean the seeds from your pumpkins, making sure you remove any unwanted pumpkin rinds or deformed seeds. Wash in a colander and once again remove any unwanted items. Soak the clean seeds in a bowl full of water for 1/2 hour on the kitchen counter or overnight in the refrigerator. Drain the seeds, discarding the water. Fill a pot with water and a dash of salt (enough water so that it will cover the seeds). Bring the water to a boil. Place seeds into the boiling water and boil gently for about 10 minutes.Turn off the heat, drain the seeds and place them back into your empty bowl. Toss the seeds with olive oil and lay them out in a thin layer on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with desired seasoning (see below). Place in oven and move and turn the seeds over about every 10 minutes, making sure they are not burning. Seeds are done after about 40 minutes or when they are no longer soft.
You don’t want dark spots on your seeds, you want them to be a darker yellow.
Here’s the fun part! You can decide what type of seasoning you want to put on the pumpkin seeds. Sweet? Savory? Nothing at all? It’s totally up to you! Here are a few of our favorites:
Cinnamon & Sugar
Salt & Pepper
Garlic salt & Onion powder
Everything Bagel seasoning
Taco Seasoning
Ranch Seasoning
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