With Halloween just around the corner, many families are carving pumpkins and making scary jack o lanterns. When you are scooping out the seeds, don’t toss them out! Here is an easy recipe for crunchy, salty and delicious roasted pumpkin seeds from Taste of Home. Not only are pumpkin seeds a tasty snack, they’re high in protein and fiber and a good source of minerals like zinc and iron.
ROASTED PUMPKINS SEEDS
Ingredients
- 2 c. fresh pumpkin seeds (or whatever you scoop from one pumpkin)
- 3 T. butter, melted (or an equal amount of the cooking oil of your choice)
- 1 t. salt and/or other seasonings
- 1 t. Worcestershire Sauce (optional)
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line a large sheet pan with aluminum foil and lightly grease it with butter or oil. (This reduces cleanup later)
- Scoop out the pumpkin seeds. Using a sharp, sturdy knife, cut around the top of the pumpkin and remove the lid. Using a large spoon, scrape the sides of the pumpkin to remove the seeds and pulp. Place everything, pulp and all, in a large bowl.
- Use your fingertips to pull the seeds free. Leave the large pieces of pumpkin pulp in the bowl as you transfer the seeds to a colander.
- Separate the pulp from the seed. Rinse the seeds in the colander under cold running water. The water will loosen the strands and make it easier to pull them off.
- Rinse and drain. Pat the seeds dry with a towel.
- It’s time to season! You can use any spices you wish. Whichever flavors you choose, combine the seasonings with the butter or oil in a small bowl. Then drizzle the mix over the dry seeds in a medium-sized bowl. Stir the mixture to make sure each seed is coated.
Spread the seeds evenly in a single layer on your prepared baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes, making sure to stir and toss the seeds occasionally.
Finish roasting on high heat. Cooking in a 200-degree oven helps the pumpkin seeds cook evenly inside and out, so they don’t burn before they’re cooked through. For crispy seeds, increase the oven temperature to 325° (after the 45 minutes at 200 degrees is completed). Continue baking until the seeds are lightly browned and dry, about five minutes more.
The seeds can be served warm or you can cool them and enjoy at room temperature.
Serve and enjoy!
