Without fail each year that I have carved a Jack-O-Lantern, I have been asked by someone if I roasted the seeds. Now I must tell you that countless times I have attempted to make this snack that everyone seems to be so crazy about, however I confess that I could count on one hand the number of times that this supposedly amazing treat was worth a good darn, and that in fact, they did not end up in the trash. I have always felt that these roasted seeds were just OK, I mean if I were stranded on a desert island I would probably eventually eat them.
The other day as I was preparing a Roasted Stuffed Pumpkin, just as I was about to throw the seeds away, a little voice told me to hold on to them, and give roasting another try. I mean there must be something to this treat that people ask about with crazed looks, right? Maybe it was the way I was trying to prepare them? So I went through the painful process of separating the seeds from the other gunk, washed them, and spread them out to dry overnight.
At some point during my slumber, I must have been visited by the Great Pumpkin himself, or had a vision of other sorts, because when I awoke, I had a clear idea of what to do with the seeds. Why not prepare them in the same manner that I use to make my Chex mix? I figured the worst that could happen was they would go out in the rubbish like the countless seeds before.
Well I am pleased to share with you that it was a victory, a breakthrough of sorts (for me anyway). The pumpkin seeds are really quite tasty, in fact rather enjoyable, and I am already conjuring up plans for the next round.
I hope you enjoy your seeds should you choose to try this method. I like them spicy and would add a bit more pepper next time, and now I am sure there will be a next time.
- 2 cups pumpkin seeds washed and dried
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon season salt
- ¼ cayenne pepper
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Heat oven to 200° F.
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Place butter in a small roasting pan or metal cake pan on top of the stove over medium low heat to melt.
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Add Worcestershire sauce and spices. Mix well.
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Turn off heat and add pumpkin seeds, tossing well to coat.
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Place in oven for 30 minutes, remove and stir well halfway through cooking time.
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Remove from the oven, stir well, and return again for another 15 minutes. Adjust time for the quantity of seeds you are roasting stirring every 15 minutes. You are looking for a nice even toasted color. No burning.
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Place seeds on paper towels to cool and drain any excess butter.
This recipe will describe the method I used to roast the seeds from my pumpkin, and the approximate amount of ingredients. Since every pumpkin is a different size and contains varying amounts of seeds, you will need to adjust accordingly.
I started with about 2 cups of cleaned and dried seeds.
I roast pumpkin seeds every year and found them tasteless until I realized
by washing the seeds, I was washing away incredible flavor! Roast the seeds straight out of the shell-toss with a little olive oil or use spray, salt liberally, roast until golden brown -incredibly delicious!