Pumpkin Seeds (Don't throw them away!)

Erin said...

It's that time of the year again; Halloween is right around the corner. One of my favourite childhood memories is baking pumpkin seeds with my mom. I always loved when October came around because Halloween was a time when we made costumes, went trick-or-treating and bought pumpkins. Carving the pumpkin was fun, but baking the seeds was the real treat. So, don't throw away your pumpkin seeds. Save them and bake them.

The process I use to prepare the pumpkin seeds takes a couple of days, but I have always had great results with this method. What I do first is wash all the pumpkin guts from the seeds and rinse them thoroughly. Then I fill a bowl with room temperature water and soak the seeds overnight. The next day I lay the seeds out on a clean kitchen towel to dry. I tried to use a paper towel one year and the seeds stuck to the paper. So I ended up re-washing them, which took an extra day of pure patience. After the seeds are completely dry, I coat them with oil and sprinkle them with salt. If you have a sweet tooth, then sprinkle a little sugar and cinnamon instead of using salt--very tasty also. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees and place the seeds on a baking sheet. The seeds should take 15 to 20 minutes to cook. Make sure you stir them regularly. As soon as the seeds turn from an off-white to a golden brown colour, remove them from the oven. Let the seeds cool off before enjoying.

Pumpkin seeds are an easy snack and last for months if stored in proper conditions. Place the seeds in a air tight bag and put in a dry place such as a cupboard or a drawer. Pumpkins taste the freshest during the fall when they are in season, but can be bought year around. Pumpkin seeds have a nutty flavour and are a very healthy snack so pairing their flavours with any seasoning you prefer creates the finishing touches to your great snack.