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Wednesday, October 17, 2012

What to do with Pumpkin Seeds ~ Drying and/or Roasting


"Why such a hurry to get the pumpkins in?" Ma asked…

"The vines couldn't do much on tough sod," he made excuse,
"and the frost caught the green ones,
but we'll get a lot of seed out of these for next year."

~ Laura Ingalls Wilder, The Long Winter


Saving and Drying Heirloom Seeds

The pumpkins we harvested were heirlooms (which means we can use the seeds they produced to plant next year because they are the "real thing"). Here is how to dry them for replanting:
  • Simply place your seeds in a colander and rinse them with cool water to remove "orange stuff".
  • Lay your clean seeds out on a fresh towel and blot them dry.
  • Next, place them on a tray and let them sit in a dry area for two weeks to finish drying out. 
  • You can store them in a cool, dark place or put them in the freezer if you live in a humid area.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds ~ A Seasonal Snack

Roast your seeds for a tasty and frugal snack if you are unsure of your pumpkin source (i.e., if it is a re-plantable heirloom variety or not) or if you simply have excess seeds.
  • Wash seeds as indicated in first two steps above.
  • Toss seeds with combinations of your choice such as sea salt/olive oil, oil/cinnamon/sugar, or sea salt/olive oil/chili powder. Place the seasoned seeds on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Bake in 300 degree oven for 15 - 20 minutes (or until golden). You may want to stir them and flip them halfway though roasting.
  • Store roasted seeds in a ziplock bag or airtight container. Place in fridge if you won't be consuming them within a week so they don't go rancid.

Here is a fun and frugal project using pumpkin seeds...

15 comments:

  1. This looks great. I was just wondering about roasting pumpkin seeds and then I found your article! Thanks so much.

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  2. I have never roasted pumpkins seeds with success. I will be trying your recipe. first, I need to get someone at church to save me the seeds of a few pumpkins!
    Question: have you ever tried the seeds from winter squash? Just wondering :-)Thank you!

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    1. Not tried with the winter squash but not a bad idea ;)

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  3. Hi, found you from the Farm Girl Friday blog fest. Just wanted to say i LOVE roasted pumpkin seeds!! I've never had to place them in the fridge though... they're always long gone before that's a problem :)

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  4. We used to make this with my mom when we were kids. Fond memories. Thanks for sharing your recipe. :)
    I would like to invite you to link up with the Clever Chicks Blog Hop this week!
    http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/10/autumn-giveaway-clever-chicks-blog-hop-4.html

    I hope to see you there!
    Cheers!
    Kathy
    The Chicken Chick

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    Replies
    1. Will have to make a visit ;) Have a wonderful weekend!

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  5. I really like your blog. Lots of great information. We also made pumpkin seeds yesterday. We had a visitor and she suggested putting cinnamom and sugar on them. They were very good.
    Jeannie

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  6. do you eat pumpkin seeds the same as sunflower seeds? eat the center and spit out the shell?

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    Replies
    1. Actually, we eat them with the shell which is why it would make sense to coat with goodies. Good question, I forgot to mention that! :)

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  7. I have roasted seeds before and they didn't turn out the best I think that I need to do them your way and try again ;) have you ever used butternut squash seeds? I have a butternut that needs to be used, but I didn't know if they would work like pumpkin seeds.

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    Replies
    1. Never tried it with butternut squash seeds but… they are rather similar… Maybe you will start some new craze! Nice to hear from you again :)

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  8. Hmm. Interesting! Thanks for linking!

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