Pumpkin Seeds

Several years back, I decided to roast the pumpkin seeds that we scooped out of the pumpkins we had bought in October. I was amazed at how awesome they were. There's not much to it. All you need is the pumpkin seeds, olive oil, salt, and aluminum foil. So, I'll do this post just a little differently, and just show the photos and tell you some tips that I do in preparing mine.

Start by scooping the innards together and loosening the seeds up. Carefully separate the seeds from the pumpkin.

I do a heavy wash on my seeds. I put them in a colander and rest that on a larger bowl. Fill it up and let them rest in the water occasionally agitating the seeds. Dump the water and do it again. This will help separate the pumpkin guts that are stuck to the seeds. I usually do this at least overnight. When I'm in a hurry, I will still do this at least three times.

Layer the seeds in a shallow pan. Normally I use a 9X13, but this year I had more seeds and ended up using and 11X17 (I think it is anyway). Just make sure you have enough side so that when you stir the seeds you're not knocking them out of the pan. Lightly drizzle them with oil and sprinkle with salt. Stir them to make sure they are all evenly coated. I bake mine at 300 degrees F, stirring every 10 minutes or so. I scrape the the edge in when stirring to make sure they cook evenly. And I taste test them for doneness. They need to have a little crack to them when tasted. 

I've had a lot of compliments on these, and my daughter and I both love them. If you try them, please let me know how you like them!