Roasting Pumkin Seeds – Halloween Fun
By christinesteendahl | Category: Recipes & Kitchen Tips
Halloween is just around the corner. We grew pumpkins this year in our garden, so we ended up with about 12-14 pumpkins. The kids have been begging to roast pumpkin seeds this year so we will probably do that tomorrow.
Roasting pumpkin seeds in the oven creates a snack every bit as tasty as sunflower seeds.
Baking pumpkin seeds is easy and fun. Your kids will want to help if only to get their hands messy with the "pumpkin guts". You may as well do something with all the seeds you remove as you carve your jack o’ lantern anyway.
While you gather the supplies, let the kids have all the fun of cleaning out the pumpkins. To avoid a big mess, dress them in disposable aprons and gloves. Cover the table with newspaper or a plastic tablecloth. They can begin after you’ve cut a hole in the top of the pumpkin for their hands.
As for the rest, you will need a large cookie sheet or two, a colander or other strainer, and some salt. If you are watching your salt intake, use a lighter salt mixture.
After the pumpkin seeds have been removed, separate them from the stringy pulp. Discard the pulp in the trash bin. Place the seeds in a colander and hold it under running water to thoroughly wash them off.
Once the seeds are clean, have the kids spread them out in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle the seeds with the salt. Pumpkin seeds should bake at 350 degrees for about twenty minutes. In the meantime, round up all of the newspaper and throw it away. Cleaning as you go allows everyone to enjoy the treats as soon as they pop out of the oven.
Check the pumpkin seeds every five minutes or so to make sure that they are not getting overdone. Turning once during baking gives an even roasting to all of the seeds. To see if they are done, scoop out a couple of seeds and taste them once they cool. You can add more salt if you need to.
If you have never roasted pumpkin seeds, you are in for a treat! To keep the kids coming back for more of this healthy treat, try different toppings. Sprinkling a touch of your favorite seasoning or popcorn topping on the seeds will produce any number of interesting flavors. Healthy snacks don’t have to be boring afterall!
If you are like the taste of the southwest, add chili powder or taco seasoning to the seeds before baking. For a hotter taste, try red pepper flakes, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne pepper. You can even add hot sauce. Eat the seeds alone or make them part of a party mix.
This week as you snuggle up for a scary movie, or the "It’s a Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown", roast some pumpkin seeds instead of popcorn for a fun autumn fare. Adding butter flavoring, cheddar cheese, white cheddar, or garlic salt to a bag of roasted pumpkin seeds provides fewer calories than the traditional movie munchies. If you happen to have any left, you can store them in a ziplock bag, but generally they don’t last long!
Enjoy and have a Happy Halloween!
Christine
"The Menu Mom"
For more fun Halloween Recipes hop on over to http://www.dinewithoutwhine.com/Kid%20Halloween%20Fun%20Recipe%20E-book.pdf and http://www.dinewithoutwhine.com/article-kids-halloween-recipes.htm
This is something that our family has done each year. It is fun and yummy! We soak our seads in VERY salty water for 3-4 hours and then roast them.
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