You go to the pumpkin patch in search of the perfect pumpkin. There are pumpkins of all shapes and sizes...tall and thin, short and plump and everything in between. You make your selection, pay for it and bring it home.
The kids are so excited to carve the pumpkin that they can hardly stand it. They have agonized over the perfect face to carve and they are ready.
Grab some newspaper to cover your table, a few bowls to hold pumpkin insides and seeds, a couple spoons to clean out your pumpkin and you are ready to begin. Be sure to watch children around your carving knife -- safety first.
After carefully cutting a lid into the pumpkin, you look inside and see the stringy, pulpy inside of the pumpkin and hopefully, lots of seeds. You have heard that some people roast pumpkin seeds and you have always wanted to try doing it yourself...well, now you can!
Be sure to either finish carving your pumpkin before roasting the seeds or be sure the carving knife is out of reach of little fingers before proceeding with seed roasting.
Here's a super easy recipe that you and your kids will enjoy:
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
- Remove seeds from pumpkin and place in colander.
- Rinse seeds under running water to remove as much pumpkin as possible.
- Shake colander to remove excess water and then pat seeds dry with paper towel.
- Transfer seeds to bowl.
- Add 1 tbsp. vegetable oil and 1 tsp. salt per 1 cup of pumpkin seeds. Stir.
- Place pumpkin seed mixture on an oiled baking sheet (you can use cooking spray to grease the baking sheet) in an even, single layer.
- Bake seeds for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
- Transfer seeds from baking sheet onto a plate lined with a paper towel.
Enjoy!
Spice It Up
For extra flavor and added variety, consider adding one of the following to your pumpkin seeds:
- Chili powder
- Cayenne pepper
- Paprika
- Italian seasoning
- Rosemary
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Parmesan cheese
The snacking possibilities are nearly endless when you take a healthy treat such as pumpkin seeds and dress them up to suit your tastes! You could even cut your batch in half or quarters to mix different seasonings in each batch - just be sure to use a separate baking sheet for each to avoid mixing flavors.
Tastes Great and Good For You Too
Not only are pumpkin seeds a delicious snack, they also contain vitamin B, vitamin E and fiber so you don't have to feel guilty about grabbing a handful or two on your way out the door.
If you use real pumpkin for your Thanksgiving, Christmas or other holiday pie, you can easily use this recipe at that time as well.
Some people find that they cannot get enough of the seeds and so they will go out a day or two after Halloween and buy pumpkins on sale just so they can harvest more yummy seeds to eat!
In summary, pumpkin seeds are a delicious and healthy treat. Using this recipe will introduce you to a simple method to use more of your Halloween pumpkin in an enjoyable way.
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