Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Not all treats need be sweet at Halloween! When you carve your jack o’lantern this year, be sure to save the seeds for a savory snack that might be just the thing to take the edge of the kids’ (or your) sweet tooth.
Simply scoop out the stringy insides of your pumpkin and set them aside in a bowl. Sort the seeds from the orange pulp, and discard the pulp. Rinse the seeds until no pulp remains.
There are a couple of ways to proceed at this point. You can simmer the seeds in salted water, or you can skip right to the roasting stage. If you’d like to try simmering your seeds, bring 1 pint of water per 1/2 cup seeds to a gentle boil and add 1 teaspoon of salt. Add your seeds to the water, reduce heat, and let seeds simmer for about 10 minutes. Drain and pat dry between layers of paper towels. If you want to skip the simmering step, just pat your seeds dry and preheat your oven.
You can season your pumpkin seeds whichever way you’d like. Try cinnamon-sugar, garlic powder, or curry powder. Chef David Kamen of the Culinary Institute of America recommends seasoning your pumpkin seeds with cayenne pepper to spice things up this Halloween!
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
- Seeds from your Halloween pumpkin, cleaned and patted dry (simmered if desired)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or nonstick cooking spray
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (1/2 teaspoon if seeds were simmered in salted water)
- Seasonings as desired
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- If using olive oil, place seeds in a small bowl and toss with oil. If using spray, pour seeds out onto pan and spread in a single layer; spray with oil.
- Sprinkle seeds with salt and seasonings as desired. Place in oven and bake at 375 degrees F for 10 to 15 minutes, until seeds are golden and fragrant. Stir once halfway through.
- Remove seeds from pan to a plate and allow to cool completely before eating or storing. Keep at room temperature in an air-tight container.
Recipe courtesy of the CIA.
Photo by CIA/Keith Ferris.
