Roasting Pumpkin Seeds
It's that time of year again; yesterday, we carved up three pumpkins. One for each of my girls and the other to mysteriously place on our neighbor's doorstep. We did this last year, and they were very excited by the gesture. The girls were rewarded with homemade cookies.
Roasting pumpkin seeds is easy and a great snack to have around the house. My wife made this batch and said it was her finest ever. Here's a simple recipe.
Washing & Drying the Pumpkin Seeds
Drying the seeds before roasting is a good idea, but only partially necessary. We didn't, but here's what to do if you want. Before roasting, you'll want to wash and dry the seeds to remove all the yucky pumpkin gook. To wash, place the seeds in a big water bowl and rub off any fibrous pumpkin tissue. You'll likely do this several times to get all the yucky stuff off.
To dry, place on a roasting pan, spread them out so they aren't touching (too much), and place in a warm oven for a couple of hours. Be sure to stir them frequently so they don't burn.
Roasting
As I said, we skipped the drying part above and went right to the roasting. After we washed the seeds, we preheated the oven to 300 degrees F and then tossed the pumpkin seeds in a bowl with a couple of tablespoons of melted butter and some salt. Looking back, one tablespoon of butter is enough.
Spread the seeds evenly onto a baking sheet and bake until golden brown (about 30 to 40 minutes). Again, be sure to stir frequently to prevent burning.
Letting Them Sit
Once done, you'll want to dive right in and taste your work, which is fine, but you'll find the seeds a little greasy from the butter. However, if you wait a few hours, the pumpkin seeds seem to absorb some of the butter and have better flavor without the greasy feel.
Mary Ann McGrath
My children look forward to roasted pumpkin seeds every year. After I rinse the seeds, I let them sit in salty water overnight, spray the roasting pan with nonstick oil, and let 'em brown. They have become a family tradition.
RG
Cindy, you are right. It should have read 300 degrees F and they are roasted anywhere from between 30 and 40 minutes being sure to stir them occasionally.
Tim from WI
I have enjoyed pumpkin seeds since childhood. I have found that if you rinse the seeds and salt them with sea salt immediately, the salt will stay on long enough for them to roast and will be absorbed into the seeds, making for great taste and a lot less mess while eating.
Stephanie
Spray some Pam on a plate and microwave them for three minutes, one minute at a time. They come out just fine, and it's a lot faster!
gudipudi
300F ideal temp to roast
Susan K.
I roasted spaghetti squash seeds the same way as the pumpkin seeds. I soaked them in salt water overnight and, the next day roasted them in my toaster oven at 300 F for about 30 to 40 minutes. The squash seeds were fuller than the pumpkin seeds and just as tasty!