The Simple and Nitty Gritty: Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Growing up, I only have one memory of roasting pumpkin seeds. The seeds we roasted were from the pumpkins we carved for our front porch, on Halloween. I think I was eight years old. My memory involved newspaper all over the dining room table, a pumpkin in front of my sister and I, and a pile of pumpkins guts in the middle of the table. I am sure there was a lot of complaining and excitement because I was the day before Halloween. Truth be told I don’t remember how the seeds go separated from the pulp, but they did, and I am sure it was my mother doing all the work. I remember my mother brining the seeds in a pot of simmer salt water on the stove and I remember the smell of the toasting seeds in the oven late into the evening. I remember carving pumpkins early in the evening, but the sun was already gone for the day. Last night, I recreated this exact memory. The only difference was my mother wasn’t doing the work. What I mean by work, is the real work, the nitty gritty pumpkins guts all over my hands and cloths.

The biggest step is separating out the seeds from the pulp. I set a work station with a trash bowl lined with a plastic bag in it for the trash pulp, a colander with the combined seeds and pulp, and a colander for the cleaned seeds.  The colander for the cleaned and separated seeds was the most important piece of the work station. It took one hour of gushing my hands through the pulp and separating out the slippery little seeds of the three pumpkins I carved. After the sorting a quick rise of the cleaned seed, in the colander, in the sink, and I was ready to begin.

1. After the seeds have been separated from the pulp and rinsed; set a pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil.
2. For each quart of water match equally with ½ a cup of Kosher salt, to create a sea like brine in your pot.
3. At the point of boiling, drop the pumpkin seeds into the water and give them a good stir.
4. Lower the temperature of the stove so the water is heated to a high simmer.
5. Let the seeds bath in the high simmering brine for 10 minutes.
6. Strain the brine off the seeds and shake remaining water out of the colander. 
7. Then, spread out to dry for at least twelve hours. Drying the seeds is very important so when it is time to roast the seeds, the seeds will no steam and the oils from inside the seed will crispy up the seed and shell in a dry heat.
8. When you have let he seed air dry long enough, turn your oven on to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
9. Lay out seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
10. Roast the seeds for twenty minutes stirring occasionally to ensure and even roast.
11. Let cool and enjoy

I like to roast pumpkin seeds this way so that they stay good for longer.  You can keep them in an airtight container on your counter for up to a month or six months in the freezer. Another reason I like to dry roast seeds in this way is because as you have events or cravings for different flavors you can season the pumpkin seeds to your liking by introducing fat and spice in hot pan on the stove. Just do not add anymore salt, as the brine from before will suffice.

Slow food is good food.