Toasted Pumpkin (and Squash) Seeds

Pumpkin Carving

Tradition seems to dictate that pumpkins be carved before Halloween; however, I see no reason for not enjoying this fun (albeit gooey) fall activity any time between Labor Day and Christmas…or whenever you can get your hands on a pumpkin!  I came to this conclusion as my sweet munchkin and I sat on our porch carving our belated Halloween pumpkin last week ;-)

Though there are many good reasons to carve a pumpkin (using large, very sharp knives to slice through the thick skin is high on my list…second only to the most excellent shoulder workout gained by plunging your entire arm into the gooey abyss of an overgrown squash to scrape out the innards), the thought of warm toasted pumpkin seeds is what gets me running to the store each fall as soon as they set out the pumpkins!

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

*You can also toast Butternut Squash seeds like this, too!*

1. Separate seeds from all the pulp with your hands and rinse under cool water (I promise it’s not as time consuming as it sounds!) 
   

   Step 1: Separate from pulp and rinse

2. Boil seeds for 10-15 min in salt water solution:  roughly (2 cups water + 1 Tblsp salt)/(half cup of seeds)
3. Drain seeds and pat dry, then toss with either butter or olive oil (some recipes call for drying the seeds overnight before baking, however I’ve never done this and it works just fine)
   

   Step 2: Boil in salt water

    

4. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for about 15-20 minutes at 350°F

Enjoy!

Tags: fall, family, pumpkin, pumpkin seeds, squash, toasted