What's better than a sea of snack for nearly no cost?
One of the best things during the Halloween season, (besides all the candy,) is the roasted pumpkin seeds. When we carve pumpkins, we have to pull all the guts and seeds out; why not make use of them. What better use than a high fiber snack?
The first thing you need to do, is, of course, removing the seeds from the pumpkin. There will be stringy orange goo all over them. Try to avoid large clumps of the goo. Put the seeds in a large pot. I like to use a stock pot because it has a perfectly sized large colander.
My favorite thing about this recipe, is the lack of measurements, and flexibility.
Fill the pot, (seeds still in) with warm water. Rub the seeds, while still in the water in between your hands to remove the excess pulp. Clean the seeds as well as you can. A little pulp won't hurt, and may add some flavor.
Now, we boil the seeds in salted water. There isn't an exact amount of salt here. I had four large pumpkins, so I used about a quarter cup of salt.
You can add your seasoning here as well if you'd like it a mild flavor. For a stronger flavor add the seasoning after the seeds are boiled- during the roasting process. I used a few tablespoons of garlic powder.
Boil the seeds for about 30 minutes. Again, this recipe is very flexible and we just want to saturate the seeds a bit. The longer you boil them, the saltier they will be.
The seeds will appear darker when they have been boiled long enough.
Drain the seeds and let them cool, for a few minutes- just to make them easier to handle. Take a large baking sheet (I use a very old cookie sheet, because the seeds will leave a residue behind) and spread the seeds in as thin a layer as possible. The thinner the layer of seeds, the shorter the cooking time. If you want a stronger flavor, you can season the seeds at this step. You can add butter, garlic oregano, thyme, or try a sweet and salty snack, with a bit of sugar and cinnamon. I used just the garlic from the boiling, to keep them low in fat.
Dark seeds are chewy and no fun to eat.
Set your oven to bake at about 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Stir the seeds occasionally to ensure even roasting. The baking time can vary greatly, after 30 minutes or so, check the seeds every five to 10 minutes. Bake the seeds until they are golden brown, and no dark seeds remain.
Light, golden brown seeds are finished.
Enjoy! The entire seed can be eaten. There is no need to peel the outer skin like sunflower seeds. Pumpkin seeds make a delightful, high fiber snack, that everyone will love, and they are exponentially better than most other salty snacks.
