Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
You’ve made your last slice with the knife. The top is off and the opening is just big enough for your arm to fit through. The pungent odor coming from inside has hit your senses. You hold your breath, thrust in your longest-handled spoon, and lift out your first scoop of stringy, orange pulp and slimy white seeds.
For those of you who make pumpkin carving an annual Halloween tradition, add roasting pumpkin seeds to the carving fun. While some of us may cringe at the feel of a pumpkin’s slippery insides, or gag over the smell that is not at all like pumpkin pie, don’t be so quick to chuck that gooey slop. Those seeds, mixed in with the stringy pulp, make for a yummy treat that is also full of protein, fiber, magnesium, and antioxidants. Easy to roast, you can be enjoying this delicious power-food snack in no time.
Ingredients
- 1 carving pumpkin, any size
- Cavender’s All-Purpose Greek Seasoning (can be found at WalMart), or seasoning of your choice
Tools
- carving knife
- long-handled spoon
- medium mixing bowl
- strainer
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pumpkin on a flat surface, such as a countertop. You may want to cover the surface in newspaper or a plastic tablecloth first to make for easier clean-up.
- Cut a circle, roughly 4” in diameter, around the stem of the pumpkin. (Remember to cut down on a slight angle to form a lip for the pumpkin top to sit on. Cutting straight down will make the top fall through.)
- Once you have the top of the pumpkin off, scoop out the insides of the pumpkin with a long-handled spoon or a Scoop Loop (click here to see one from Pampered Chef), placing contents in a medium mixing bowl.
- After the pumpkin is cleaned out, add water to the mixing bowl until seeds are covered. With your hand, scoop the pulp out of the bowl and discard.
- Place seeds in a strainer and rinse to remove any remaining pulp. Lightly dry seeds between two sheets of paper towels.
- Cover baking sheet with parchment paper, or spray with nonstick oil. Place pumpkin seeds in a single layer on baking sheet. Sprinkle with seasoning.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until seeds or golden.
- Let cool for 5-10 minutes
