Prep Time: 20 mins
Cooking Time: 1-2 hours
I am running strong on a 10-year tradition of roasting pumpkin seeds in our home. It is our “thing”. It is our family’s “claim to fame” in our neighborhood…. Pumpkin Spice latte’s be damned…for the Halloween season, there is nothing better than our homemade roasted seeds, I love them, my kids love them, we give them out to friends, family, our school teachers, co-workers……just get in line….This is a super easy recipe…if you are carving a pumpkin……you might as well get some good snacking out of it………
Ok, this is easy:
- Carve the pumpkin, put all the guts and seeds into a large bowl.
- Fill the bowl with water, the seeds will float….sort of…
- Separate the pulp and “guts” from the seeds, I put the seeds in a colander and rinse. You can squeeze the guts to help the seeds separate…..it is kind of an art form……you will figure it out after a few minutes…..
- Spread seeds over paper towels on a cookie sheet. There will still be some “guts” and pumpkin “stuff”….and that is ok, you can’t get it all. It will not ruin the seeds….and it actually adds a bit of flavor…..
- Let seeds dry for 2 hours
- In a large bowl, mix:
- 2 table spoons of extra virgin olive oil (less if you are working with a small amount of seeds)
- Salt
- Onion Powder
- Paprika
- Garlic Powder
- A pinch of celery salt
- Black pepper (the more pepper you add…=..more heat….)
- You can add any spices/hot sauces you want here…….no rules……
- A pinch or 5….of Crazy Salt……if you don’t have this, check your grocery store…or you can buy here…..it is pretty damn good
- You want this mixture to be kind of a “sludge” texture………add your dry seeds to the bowl and mix well.
- Spread your seasoned seeds on a cookie sheet (cover cookie sheet in parchment paper if you have it) or just spread them on the cookie sheet.
- Roast in oven at 300 degrees for 1-2 hours. Cooking time will vary depending on how thin you spread the seeds. You will see them turn slightly golden-brown. Be careful not to cook to long, they can burn! If you are not sure….. take them out, let them chill long enough to eat a few…and try them out…..you an always put them back in for 10 or 20 more mins. See our pictures for the right “doneness”…or the right “look”.
We put our roasted seeds in a gallon zip-lock…in the fridge. They can last about a week or so before they get a little stale…….but ours never get past a few days. We also vacuum seal and freeze portions to take hiking, fishing, camping, etc……
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