Roasted Pumpkin Seeds |

I remember carving pumpkins as a child, and then afterwards mom would clean and roast the seeds. Eating them while they were still warm and crunchy was the best! I hadn’t roasted any pumpkin seeds in many years and was determined that this year I was going to do it! Pumpkin time was going to also equal toasted pumpkin seeds time!

Pumpkins are so versatile and I love when the air starts to have a chill and you see them scattered everywhere from a pumpkin patch, to a front stoop, to a grocery store! They can be used for lovely fall decorations, carving jack-o-lanterns, cooked into a delicious meal, made into pumpkin puree {which can then be used to make all sorts of treats}! But many people forget about the seeds, and just toss them in the trash. No matter what purpose you acquire pumpkins for, why not try roasting some delicious seeds this year? Enjoy! -Shelley.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Pre-heat the oven to 300 degrees
Bake time: 45 minutes, or until golden brown

Dried pumpkin seeds
Approximately 2 T of olive oil for drizzling over seeds
Salt
Garlic and herb seasoning, optional
Adobo all-purpose seasoning, optional
Any other seasoning that sounds good, optional

Start off by removing the pulp and seeds from the inside of the pumpkin and placing in a bowl.

Separate seeds from pulp. Place seeds in a strainer and rinse well with water, while rubbing to get any bits of pumpkin off of seeds. At this point you can allow the seeds to drain well and place on a paper towel lined surface and allow to dry.

Another option is after they are rinsed to soak them in a salt water solution for a day or so. Here is a great post on the benefits of soaking seeds and nuts in a salt water solution over at www.thenourishinggourmet.com. Soaking them in salt water is an optional step, but many times they are easier to digest if this is done. I soaked my pumpkin seeds for about 6 hours in a salt water solution of about 2 cups of warm water to 2 T of salt. I had read others suggest about 1/4 cup of salt, but that seemed a little excessive to me. When I drained them I thought they may still be a bit too salty, so I rinsed them under water in the strainer again. Place in a single layer on a paper-towel lined surface and allow to dry

Once the seeds are dry, lay in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and whatever seasoning you desire. Using plain salt will work, but this time I opted to sprinkle on a garlic and herb seasoning blend with a little bit of an adobo all-purpose seasoning. They were quite tasty!