Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

    Autumn is by far my favorite season and there is nothing I love more than seeing all of the fall colors and Halloween decorations throughout Illinois. Pumpkins are my favorite of said decorations and coincidentally pumpkin seeds are one of my favorite snacks. Needless to say, besides the colder weather, October is a great time for me and I'd love to share a bit of that with you all as well.

    To make these roasted seeds you must of course start with acquiring a pumpkin. Whether you find one from your local supermarket or a pumpkin patch, have fun with it. Ingredients include olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder. Once you have found some pumpkins you like, grab some utensils such as a large spoon and a serrated knife for carving. Cut a hole in the top and then proceed to scoop out all of the pumpkin guts and seeds. Once I have cleared out the pumpkin I like to begin carving since I still have any tools I used around me and things are still messy. I will then clean the seeds and start preparation later. 

    This is the most important step so do not forget this: have fun! Yes, we are are carving the pumpkin to get what is inside but let's remember to have a good time and carve silly faces or words or even designs to display your pumpkins outside and contribute to the beautiful fall aesthetic.

    This is the most annoying part and for someone like me with eczema can be potentially painful. The insides of the pumpkin can upset your skin and become very irritating so I used some medical gloves to ensure I did not get my hands dirty. Shoutout to my nurse mom. Try to get as much gunk off of the seeds as possible and then place them in a strainer. Run water over them while mixing the seeds around as you would when cleaning rice. We want them as clean as possible.

    This next step is the most time consuming, however you do not have to do any extra work. Wait for the seeds to dry. You can leave them spread out or, as I do, place them on top of a towel in say a baking sheet with sides or a glass cake sheet and then fold the towel over if possible or use another on top. I leave them overnight, then the next day switch towels or mix up the seeds to ensure all are getting dried. Once dried, it is time to season.

     The amount of seasoning you put on will differ depending on how many seeds you are roasting so you essentially just want to eyeball it all and decide what your preferences are. I for one love more flavor and kick to things so I do not skimp on spices. First, place all your seeds in a large bowl. Add enough olive oil to coat all of the seeds but not too much, we just want them covered enough to catch all the other spices and become a perfect crispy, golden brown when cooking. Next, add in your spices such as paprika, onion and garlic powder, I prefer using a mix of ground black pepper and seasoned salt combined with sea salt and black pepper from a grinder for some larger chunks and textures. You can even add in a dash of ground red pepper for some extra heat. Once you feel your seeds are seasoned well you can add them to an oven at 350 degrees. 

    Timing will depend on how many seeds you used. For example, I first made a batch using seeds from four pumpkins that took up two baking sheets and cooked for about 45 minutes. The second time I made them this month I used one pumpkin and it took about 20 minutes. I would recommend either shaking the seeds around or using a utensil to mix them around every 5 minutes just to ensure an even roast. Some people may like them light brown some, like me, prefer a little crispier and bordering on that almost burnt stage. 

🎃 Happy Halloween Everyone 🎃