Everyone seems to love jack-o-lanterns and even pumpkin pie. What they don't seem to love are all those icky seeds inside the pumpkin. Many people just scrape them out and toss them in the trash. What a waste: Pumpkins seeds can actually be made into a delicious snack that is great on its own or even mixed into trail mix. Best of all, they're even healthy.
Instructions
1. Rinse the pulp from the seeds. Place the seeds into a colander and swish them around under running water. The pulp will eventually wash away leaving only the seeds.
2. Drain the seeds. Leave them in the colander and shake to remove any excess water.
3. Place on a cookie sheet and allow to dry overnight. You want the pumpkin seeds to be devoid of all moisture. This ensures that they toast evenly and aren't soggy.
4. Toss the dried seeds with olive oil and the seasoning of choice. You'll need just enough olive oil to coat the seeds. Kosher salt is a wonderful addition to pumpkin seeds, but if you want something different, try any of your favorite spices. For example, you could use chili powder, cumin, Cajun seasoning or even rosemary.
5. Toast in a 250-degree (F) oven for one hour, turning the seeds every 15 minutes. It's important to turn the seeds, or they may burn on one side. The seeds will be done when they are a golden brown color.
6. Allow the toasted pumpkin seeds to sit on the cookie sheet until cool and then package them in an airtight container, if you don't plan to eat them immediately.
Tags: pumpkin seeds, cookie sheet
