Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Wait! Don't throw away those pumpkin seeds. Here is a delicious and healthy way to prepare a fall snack for your family. One large pumpkin will generally yield 1 cup of pumpkin seeds, and smaller pie pumpkins will yield about the same amount.

Basic Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

2 cups Pumpkin Seeds
2 TB Margarine or Butter
1 1/2 tsp Salt

Remove largest chunks of pulp from the pumpkin seeds but do not wash.

Toss the seeds with margarine and salt. Spread on a baking sheet and roast at 250F for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Stir two or three times through out the roasting. Store at room temperature in a sealed container.

Sweet Pumpkin Seeds

1 cup Pumpkin Seeds
1 TB melted Butter or Vegetable Oil
1 TB Sugar, more or less to taste
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1/8 tsp Allspice

Remove largest chunks of pulp from the pumpkin seeds but do not wash.

Heat oven to 300 degrees. Toss seeds with butter, sugar and spices. Spread coated seeds on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 45 - 60 minutes, turning once or twice, until golden brown.

Hot and Spicy Pumpkin Seeds

2 cups Pumpkin Seeds
2 TB melted Butter
1 TB Frank's Hot Sauce
1/2 tsp Salt

Remove largest chunks of pulp from the pumpkin seeds but do not wash.

Combine seeds with butter, hot sauce and salt. Spread seeds on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake 45 - 60 minutes, turn once or twice, until golden brown.

How to Cook Raw Pumpkin Seeds
(These can be purchased in bulk at any health food store.)

Raw Pumpkin Seeds can be purchased from any health food store. The small green seeds are sold in bulk and usually run about $3 - $4 per pound. These are perfect to use for roasting when you do not want to deal with a messy pumpkin.

Here is a simple recipe for Hot Sauce Pumpkin Seeds.

2 cups Raw Pumpkin Seeds
2 TB Butter
2 - 3 TB Frank's Hot Sauce
Salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a heat-proof measuring cup melt the butter in the microwave. Add the pumpkin seeds and stir to coat. Next add the hot sauce and again blend well.

Line a cookie sheet with foil and spread the seeds out in a single layer. Lightly sprinkle the seeds with salt.

Bake the seeds about 10 minutes then gently stir and turn them over. Return the seeds to the oven and bake an additional 8 - 12 minutes, until they are a light golden brown and still just a bit green. Do not overbake the seeds or they will be too crunchy and will lose their pumpkin flavor.

Remove from oven, stir gently and let cool slightly before eating.