I carved my pumpkin last Sunday, along with my nephew and four nieces. We collected the seeds from all the pumpkins (we wound up with about six cups) and I took them home to roast with the promise that I’d share. Here’s the recipe I used:
Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
1. Soak pumpkin seeds in cold water about 1 hour to loosen the attached fibers; drain and dry. (I didn’t soak them a whole hour; I just made sure they were free of pumpkin gunk.)
2. Although pumpkin seeds are high in oil, some people prefer to add a little oil or butter. If you want, toss seeds with olive or vegetable oil or melted butter before toasting. (I used olive oil.)
3. Toss seeds with salt (1/4 teaspoon salt to 2 cups seeds). Spread on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 250°F for 40 to 45 minutes (350°F for 20 to 30 minutes), stirring every 15 minutes, until toasted. (Keep a careful watch—the seeds burn quickly.)
For flavor-spiked seeds, toss with different spices, such as chili powder, Cajun seasoning or garlic powder, when adding the salt.
They don’t look like much, but once you start munching it’s hard to stop. I’m not sure there’s going to be any left to share.