Roasted Pumpkin Seeds – Hello Belles!

I always find myself wishing we could make these more times in the year as our family really enjoys eating pumpkin seeds. They are fun and very simplistic.

Our favorite way to make the seeds requires few ingredients. I did forget to add the olive oil to this photo, but you will need:

Pumpkin Seeds – From two medium pumpkins we got about 1 cup of seeds
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Seasoned Salt (or more – use your eyes)
1/4 teaspoon Pepper

Step one is the carving of the pumpkin. Cut a circle around the stem and pull out the top. Scoop out the seeds. We like to use a pasta spoon for the long grips.

Step two is to display your carved pumpkins with candles by the fireplace, to admire as you prepare the seeds. A squirrel got to our pumpkins before we were able to carve them and left some “love bites” that the kids needed to design around.

Now back to the seeds. Take the bowl of seeds and other pumpkin gunk and fill it with water. Let it sit for a few minutes to allow the gunk to sink. You’ll have to pick some of the pumpkin guts out with your hands. I like to scoop out the seeds several times with a slotted spoon and then refill the bowl with water, repeat, until the non seed material is gone.

Next, you need to go through another level of drying. Lay the seeds out on a towel and squeeze out what moisture you are able to. I transferred these seeds to three different towels and rolled up to dry.

When seeds have been dried out on towels, add to a bowl and then add the olive oil and seasoned salt and better than stir. When combined, spread out on parchment paper on a large baking sheet. I cook with my eyes, so I typically may add more seasonings if the seeds don’t look like they have the “right” mixture when spread out on the sheet.

These seeds took about 45 minutes to roast at 400 degrees. I checked them about 5 times to stir and test. When ready, they are light and dry and sound like fallen leaves against the parchment paper. They should be audibly sizzling for several minutes after taken out of the oven as they continue roasting.

These do not last long in our house. When cooled, they can be stored in a plastic bag or other airtight container and left in the pantry or countertop. Enjoy!