5 Steps to Perfectly Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
So it’s no secret we are obsessed with Halloween and one of the best eats to come out of the big night (besides the candy, of course) is roasted pumpkin seeds. If you can nominate someone to be the seed separator while you’re carving your pumpkins you can guarantee a great supply of a yummy, crunchy, school-safe snack.
A Few Idea for Roasted Pumpkin Seeds:
- Add roasted pumpkin seeds to sautéed vegetables.
- Sprinkle pumpkin seeds on top of mixed green salads.
- Add chopped pumpkin seeds to your favorite hot or cold cereal.
- Add pumpkin seeds to your oatmeal raisin cookie or granola recipe.
Good to Know:
- Pumpkin seeds are not a commonly allergenic food and are not known to contain measurable amounts of goitrogens, oxalates, or purines—(so they can go to school).
- Pumpkin seeds are a very good source of the minerals phosphorous, magnesium, and manganese. They are also a good source of other minerals including zinc, iron, and copper. In addition, pumpkin seeds are a good source of protein and vitamin K.
5 Steps for Perfectly Roasted Pumpkin Seeds:
1. SCOOP:
If you’re carving a jack-o-lantern, scoop out the guts as usual. If you’ve purchased a pumpkin specifically for cooking, it’s easier to just cut in half. Using a large spoon, scoop (and scrape) the seeds from the cavity and transfer all ‘guck’ to a colander.
Using your hands, remove any large chunks of flesh including all the stringy bits and discard, saving the seeds.
2. CLEAN:
Place the colander with the seeds under cool running water and use your fingers to remove any remaining pumpkin bits. Shake colander to remove excess water.
3. DRY:
Wet seeds = mushy roasted pumpkin seeds. So they must start off very dry. Lay out some sheets of clean paper towel or a large tea towel on your counter. Dump the seeds on top. Use more paper towel or another tea towel to pat seeds until they are completely dry.
To be sure we even let ours air dry for about 20 minutes.
4. TOSS:
Transfer your clean and dry seeds to a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and whatever ground spice you like (we are currently loving the combo of sea salt with smoked paprika or chili powder).
Get your hands in there and toss well to ensure all of the seeds are well coated with the salt and spices.
5. ROAST:
At a low temp (325 F) for a long period (about 1 hour) roast seeds until they are golden and crispy. Sprinkle with additional sea salt while they still hot.
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds Recipes:
In addition to this savoury, fiery roasted pumpkin seeds recipe, here are a few other great seasoning combinations that are perfect for pumpkin seeds:
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup + 1 tsp curry powder + ¼ tsp cumin
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup + 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar + 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
You can store in an airtight container for up to one week, but we like leaving them out in open bowls so everyone can enjoy random handfuls as they pass by.
