Entertaining

How to roast pumpkin seeds

It’s that time of year again—pumpkin season! Now that the cottage is tucked in for the winter, cottagers are back home getting ready for fall festivities. First up, Halloween!

If there’s a pumpkin in your future, here’s a quick how-to on roasting pumpkin seeds:

Ingredients:

  • seeds from one medium sized pumpkin
  • vegetable oil (1 1/2 tsp)
  • salt (1/2 tsp)
  • garlic powder (optional)
  • cayenne pepper (optional)
  • seasoned salt (optional)

1. Heat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. If using freshly scooped seeds, give them a good rinse in cold water to remove any excess pumpkin flesh.
3. Spread the seeds evenly on a cookie sheet and allow to thoroughly dry, flipping as needed (overnight is best).
4. Put seeds in a bowl and drizzle with oil and salt. (Add optional ingredients if desired.) Stir until coated.
5. Spread seeds out evenly on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
6. Cook for 20-25 minutes, flipping after 10 minutes.
7. Continue cooking for another 5-10 minutes until the desired level of golden brown is reached.
8. Let the seeds cool and enjoy!

Variations: Try getting creative, as the ingredients you can use to add some flavour to your pumpkin seeds are almost limitless. One great way to do so is to substitute the garlic powder, cayenne pepper and seasoned salt with granulated sugar (2 tbsp), cinnamon (1 tsp) and some nutmeg (1/2 tsp).

Tip: Pumpkin seeds are also a great addition to salad if you’re looking for a bit of crunch.