Got a pumpkin? Make pumpkin seeds!
It's pumpkin season in Bucks County, Pennsylvania where I live ( and everywhere??) and families are enjoying the yearly ritual of flocking to local farms to pick out their Halloween pumpkin
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One of the things my kids always looked forward to was carving their Halloween pumpkins. It was such a fun family ritual. Living in Bucks County farmland, we always went to a local farm, took a hayride out to the pumpkin fields and each of my boys selected his very own pumpkin.
Carving was another story. Those beautiful orange pumpkins are filled with a messy glob of seeds intertwined with sticky gooey pulp. In the beginning, we used to throw the seeds away, but over the years, I learned that pumpkin seeds are not only edible, but are highly delicious and nutritious.
Why throw away the seeds when you can make pumpkin seeds in 3 easy steps and provide a healthy snack the entire family will enjoy?
How to make pumpkin seeds in 3 easy steps!
1. Slice the top off of the pumpkin and scoop out the inner seeds. Place the seeds in a colander and wash and remove strings. Pat dry with paper towels.
2. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil spray and spread the pumpkin seeds in a single layer. Then respray the seeds.
3. Sprinkle with salt and bake at 325 degrees for about 25 minutes, checking and moving them around after 10 minutes.
Cool and store in an air-tight container.
Variations: Spray seeds with oil and then choose one of the following seasonings to use before baking at 325 degrees for about 25 minutes.
- sprinkle seeds with cinnamon
- Sprinkle seeds with garlic powder and salt
- Sprinkle seeds with Cajun seasoning
Pumpkin Muffins
From the blog Living In The WoodsI love the idea of a pumpkin holding my mums! How much better can it get for the fall season.
Check out her step by step tutorials
My boys would scoff at me if I even thought of throwing the seeds away. We've always roasted the seeds. I usually do a traditional salt and olive oil mix. But, this time I'm going to make cinnamon and sugar ones.
ReplyDeleteYum. I just had to read this post because I love pumpkin seeds. I have made them but cooked them too long. I heard they are full of potassium.
ReplyDeleteSounds yummy, beautiful photos!
ReplyDeleteAnita,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the nice comment about my photos. I am trying to improve them. Thanks for noticing.
Try making them again but watch them because they do cook quickly. They are nutritious and worth it!
ReplyDeleteCarrie,
ReplyDeleteWe were late figuring out the seed idea. But once we did it, we were hooked. Enjoy!
Judee
that is a very healthy way to snack.
ReplyDeleteWould luv for my readers to follow this, inviting you to link at
http://www.passionatelyartistic.com/2011/10/halloween-ideas-and-home-decor-party.html
Thanks
Maggie
http://passionatelyartistic.com
We do this all the time with the seeds. The kids look forward to this when carving the pumpkin. I even saved some to try to grow our own pumpkins this year. It did not turn out so well because of the high temps and the drought.
ReplyDeleteI love pumpkin seeds! I haven't gotten my pumpkins yet, or even thought about carving them ... gotta get my act together so I can have the treats ... :)
ReplyDeleteThey are so healthy and easy to prepare and too many people just throw them out. Glad you shared the recipe with Vintage Recipe Thursday, Judee. Those are nice pumpkins and Jack-O-Lanterns. Come back soon. :-)
ReplyDeleteI love pumpkin seeds, but I never thought to put cinnamon on them. I need to get a pumpkin pronto so I can try it!
ReplyDeleteHi Judee, thanks for visiting my blog, it was very nice to get to know yours too. Great tips about the seeds, seems easy to make your own, and homemade... well, its always much better :o)
ReplyDeleteSo cute! Love the photos.
ReplyDeleteCool.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing with us at
Simply Delish Saturday
Wow this is so nice.. thanks for sharing! We dont have that huge pumpkin here in the Philippines..
ReplyDeleteI love your Pumpkin full of Mums, it looks so pretty. We love Pumpkin seeds this is great idea's for seasons. Thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday. Hope you have a wonderful week and come back soon!
ReplyDeleteMiz Helen
I've used Worcestershire sauce on them as well- delicious. I love the planter idea too.
ReplyDeleteMy Dad always used to roast the pumpkin seeds when we made our Jack O'Lanterns and I used to love them. Thank you for sharing this excellent post with Let's Do Brunch.
ReplyDeleteMy hubby loves to roast pumpkin seeds, and this post just reminded me that he hasn't done it yet, lol!
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking up to Making Your Home Sing Monday!
Thanks for sharing this with our flu fighting foods blog hop! Next week we'll be talking about breakfast foods; share your favorite breakfast ideas with us!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for linking up! Come back today w/ your breakfast recipes! http://www.thehumbledhomemaker.com/2011/11/gallo-pinto-traditional-costa-rican.html
ReplyDelete