Ah, fall. The best season is finally upon us. Say hello to sweater weather, pumpkin spice everything and falling leaves. While autumn has undeniably the best aesthetic, it also brings fun activities that are unique to the time. For example, pumpkin carving!
After finally picking the perfect pumpkin, you set up a bunch of old newspapers, and bring out the carving tools. It’s time. You cut a hole into your pumpkin and start taking out all the seeds and guts. Here’s an idea: Instead of throwing all of the pumpkin’s insides out, let’s make something delicious out of them. Save them until the end, and roast some pumpkin seeds!
Directions:
(Recipe Courtesy of Food Network Magazine and All Recipes)
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Using a spoon, scrape the pulp and seeds out of your pumpkin and place them into a bowl.
- Clean the seeds: Separate them as much as possible from the stringy pulp then rinse them. Then, put all of the seeds in a colander under cold water and continue to wet them. Once you are done, try blotting the seeds with paper towels, but be aware that the seeds will stick! This part can be frustrating. Its ok to skip blotting the seeds, your end result will still be the same!
- Melt two spoonfuls of butter.
- Put the seeds back into a bowl and then throw the butter onto the seeds. Generously sprinkle salt onto the seeds. Then, mix all together.
- Spread the seeds on a baking sheet* in a pan and bake for 45 minutes or until crisp. Stir occasionally.
*If you do not have baking sheets, then use aluminum foil like I did in this case. It is also easier to clean up.
This is a very simple way to roast your seeds. The taste is similar to that of sunflower seeds or popcorn. There are different ways to season the seeds, you can either go a more seasonal route or you can get very creative with the flavors. After all, spice is the variety of life.
According to the Food Network Magazine, here are the different ways to roast your seeds:
- Sweet Toss with cinnamon and sugar (skip the salt and butter).
- Spanish Toss by adding smoked paprika. This will also taste good with some almonds.
- Italian Toss with grated parmesan and dried oregano.
- Barbecue Toss with brown sugar, chipotle chili powder and ground cumin.
This is a perfect snack to have while studying or on a wine night with your girls. It is a great substitution for popcorn in the fall! Roast some seeds, put on a scary movie and enjoy some pumpkin seeds for a spooky time!
*All photos are courtesy of Victoria Weler.