I know that you have a lot to do to get ready for Halloween. But here is an easy recipe for making yummy roasted pumpkin seeds from that pumpkin you bought to decorate your house (see my previous blog for carving an Enlightened Pumpkin). This is also a good teaching lesson for your children — instead of throwing away — look first to see how it might be used. An added bonus : pumpkin seeds are very healthy for every member of your family !

After you have carved your pumpkin into a Jack-O-Lantern (or if you aren’t carving this year, after Halloween, cut open the top of the pumpkin and with a strong metal spoon, scoop out the pulp and seeds)

It’s best to start the seeds as soon as you can since once they dry out it’s almost impossible to separate them from the stringy pulp.

1) Separate the seeds and wash them thoroughly by rinsing under cold water. Use a strainer and let the water run over them, pull out as much of the pumpkin pulp as possible. Then dry the seeds with a towel or napkin.

2) Preheat oven at 325 degrees. Use a lightly oiled baking sheet and toss the seeds around a little bit to get an oily coating, then spread them out , all in one layer. Sprinkle with sea salt.  I find that stirring every 5-10 minutes works well and on average (depending on how plump and moist the seeds are) it takes 25 minutes.

3) When the pumpkin seeds are golden brown remove from the oven and let cool. Once they are cooled, place them in an airtight container so they don’t go stale. But at our house they usually don’t make it that far.

A Spicy Alternative :  Instead of sprinkling the seeds with just salt use some cumin, ginger and a touch of cinnamon. Not recommended for young children unless you know they enjoy the spices.

If you have a favorite Pumpkin Seed recipe please share it with us.

P.S. If you have the time, you can also roast the pumpkin. After removing the pulp and seeds, just discard the stem top and cut into large pieces (leaving the skin on). Place pieces in a roasting dish and roast at 375 for 1-2 hours or until tender . Remove pumpkin from oven and let it cool, then peel the skin and mash the pumpkin in food processor. The roasted pumpkin can replace canned pumpkin in any recipe.