halloween

How to Perfectly Roast Pumpkin Seeds

Perfectly Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Roasted pumpkin seeds are a necessity this time of year. But you can’t just dump a handful slimey seeds on a cookie tray for 30 minutes in the oven! There is an art to it. I’ll share my recipe with you here, but the rest is up to you.

Gut

First you have to carve your pumpkin and get all the goo and glop and seeds out. Put it all in a big bowl, don’t sit there trying to separate the seeds from the slime as you go.

Clean

Before you start, put a pot of salted water on the stove to boil. And set the oven to 325 F.

Separating the seeds from the goo is actually quite easy if you remember that seeds float and glop sinks! So fill the bowl with water and swish your hand around to separate the seeds and the slime. The seeds will float to the top and you can easy scoop them out in a colander. You’ve got the seeds about 90% clean now. A little more rinsing and picking and they’ll be good for next step.

Boil

That’s right, dump the seeds into the boiling water and let them simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Once done pour them back into the colander and then onto a towel for a quick drying. They don’t have to bone dry but dry enough for the next step.

Season

Now it’s time to oil, olive oil preferably, and season the seeds. I just use sea salt, but what ever you like. Toss the seeds with a bit of oil – not too much, we don’t want to deep fry them! And the toss in the seasoning. Make sure everything is evenly distributed.

Roast

Now spread the seeds evenly, in a single layer preferably, on a cookie sheet. Put the sheet in the oven and give it at least 10 minutes – probably more but check every 5 minutes and mix the seeds around each time. Pumpkin seeds cook from the inside-out so the only way to know if they’re ready is to try one. Keep on roasting until they’re nice and crunchy.

Eat

Pour the cooled seeds into a bowl and leave it on the counter or store them in a tupperware and bring a handful for lunches.

Cross-posted on 2FatDads