Another post in my occasional series, “How to ________ without _________“

[As requested by my Aunt Zona]

Roasted pumpkin seeds are supremely easy and delicious.  Here’s how to make them:

1.  Buy lots of pumpkins to use for other things, such as pumpkin puree for your freezer.  I’ve found that the smaller pumpkins produce the better seeds for eating.  In other words, your gigantic decorative pumpkin probably will have seeds that are tough, woody, and not so delicious.  The best seeds I ever had came from a Delitaca squash.

2. When cutting up the pumpkin, put aside all the seeds.

3. Separate the seeds from the stringy flesh.  (This is the time consuming part.)  I’ve found that the easiest way is to wash off the pumpkin juice in a fine-mesh colander and then squeeze the seeds out.  Once the seeds are separated, rinse well and drain them.  Then dump them out onto a towel to dry them even more thoroughly.  (You may find that the pumpkin does this to your hand.  Don’t worry about it – it’s a free skin peel!)

4.  Put in a bowl and dowse liberally with salt and olive oil.  (At this point you could also add any number of spices such as cumin, ground red pepper, etc. if you want them to be flavored.  I like mine just salted.)

5. Roast in a 400 degree oven until brown and toasty, stirring occasionally.  The size of your seeds will determine how long this takes.  When they’re done, you’ll probably hear them start popping open.

6.  Try to let them cool down a little bit before eating, outer shells and all!

7. Feel really good about yourself because you’re eating such a healthy snack!

(I tried the “boil, then roast” method last time and can tell you that it’s a waste of time.  They weren’t any than just roasting.  I actually liked the only-roasted pan better.)