Many people will take the pulp of the pumpkin and make pumpkin pies, but what about the seeds. For the most part these tasty little devils end up in the garbage. But will a little effort on your part, you can make these a great tasting snack that the whole family will enjoy.
The first thing you are going to want to do is to separate the seeds from the pulp. And if you are making pumpkin pie you have already done this. Then just rinse the pumpkin seeds by placing them in a pot in the sink and keep rinsing. That is going to be the hardest part of this process.
At this point you are going to want to pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees and place a small saucepan on your stove. Don't turn the burner on yet. Now take those rinsed pumpkin seeds and add them to the saucepan. For every 1/2 cup of seeds you put in the pan you should be adding about 1 cup of water. You are also going to want to add about one tablespoon of salt for every cup of water you added to the pot, (this is personal preference). You can add more or less salt, depending on your tastes. I also like to add a clove of garlic to the pot, but again this depends on your tastes. The truth is, you can add just about any kind of seasoning you like, it all depends on your tastes.
Now you can turn your burner on. You are going to want to bring the mixture to a boil, then allow the seeds to simmer in the water for about 10 minutes. Once this is complete you are going to want to drain off the pumpkin seeds from the water.
By now your oven should be heated up and all you have to do is place the pumpkin seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet that has been lightly coated with olive oil or you can even use Pam. You are going to want to bake these on the top rack of the oven. When it comes to how long, I usually cook mine for about 20 minutes. But you can add or lessen the time depending on your tastes. I like to make sure they are golden brown before I pull them out of the oven.
Once they cool, they are ready for eating. Unlike sunflower seeds you do not have to remove the outer shell. But again this is all about your tastes. You can remove the shell in order to get to the inner seed, but most people eat them whole.
So this year, make a nice snack out of your pumpkin seeds instead of throwing them in the garbage.
You may also be interested in: Paleo Recipe Book - Brand New Paleo Cookbook
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