Roasting Fresh Pumpkin Seeds

Overview

One of the simple joys of Halloween begins with carving pumpkins. Children love sticking their hands in the goop inside a pumpkin and scooping it out in preparation for carving a favorite design. This mishmash of pumpkin seeds and pulp doesn't need to be thrown away. Roasting fresh pumpkin seeds offers a tasty treat to share with the whole family. Roasting fresh pumpkin seeds will add another fun tradition to your Halloween celebration.

Step 1

Pour pumpkin goop into a colander. Run warm water over the seeds and separate the pulp. This can be time consuming, but remove all of the pulp. Hold a handful of seeds and rinse thoroughly. You may need to pick individual seeds out of the pulp.

Step 2

Fill a saucepan with water and 2 tbsp. of salt. Bring the water to a full boil. Add the pumpkin seeds and boil for 10 minutes. Rinse out the colander and drain the seeds.

Step 3

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Step 4

Pour the pumpkin seeds into a bowl and add 1 tbsp. of canola oil or melted butter (measurements are listed on the side of the butter stick).

Step 5

Stir the seeds to coat all sides with oil or butter. Sprinkle a small amount of salt over the seeds and stir again. Salt these seeds as you would normally salt your meal. Don't overdo it.

Step 6

Spread the salted pumpkin seeds on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Cook for 10 minutes, stir and then cook for another 10 minutes. Stir again and remove from the oven after another 10 minutes. Keep a close eye on the roasting pumpkin seeds to prevent burning.

Step 7

Spread cooked seeds onto paper towels and allow to cool completely. Store roasted seeds in airtight baggies or containers in the refrigerator.