Pumpkins aren’t just for making pie or jack-o’-lanterns. They’re also the perfect source of the raw ingredient for one of fall’s most underrated snacks: pumpkin seeds. With a little bit of time and effort, you can turn your pumpkin’s innards into a snack that’s healthy and delicious—and which will put any Halloween candy to shame.
Use a spoon to scrape the stringy pumpkin flesh and seeds into a bowl. Separate the seeds from the orange flesh, rinse them thoroughly in cold water and pat dry with paper towel. One medium-sized pumpkin should yield about one cup of seeds.
To make a basic slow-roasted pumpkin seed, put the seeds in a bowl and drizzle with one tablespoon of melted butter, one teaspoon at a time, until the seeds are evenly covered with a light coating of butter. Sprinkle with salt. Spread the seeds on a cookie sheet and bake in a 250F oven, stirring occasionally, until the seeds are light golden brown and crisp (up to an hour). Alternatively, pre-heat a cast iron skillet over moderately low heat. Add the pumpkin seeds and cook, stirring, for 7 to 10 minutes, until the seeds are beginning to brown and puff up. Remove the seeds from the pan and drizzle with two to three teaspoons of olive oil, then sprinkle with sea salt. Let cool, and store in an airtight container.
For a slightly more sophisticated snack, try sweet and spicy pumpkin seeds. Spread the seeds on a cookie sheet and bake in a 250F oven for about an hour, stirring occasionally, until dry. Let cool. In the meantime, combine three tablespoons of sugar with one-quarter of a teaspoon each of salt, ground cumin, ground cinnamon, and ground ginger, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Set aside. Heat one-and-a-half tablespoons of peanut (or vegetable) oil in a large non-stick skillet over high heat. Add pumpkin seeds and another two tablespoons of sugar and cook, stirring, until sugar melts and seeds begin to caramelize, 45 to 60 seconds. Transfer to bowl with spices and stir well to coat; let cool. Store in a cool dry place for up to a week.
If you’ve got lots of pumpkin seeds, try experimenting with different spice combinations to find your favourite, or make up a recipe of peanut brittle, but instead of peanuts, substitute shelled pumpkin seeds (known as pepitas, available from bulk food stores). Really, who needs mini chocolate
This article appears in Oct 27 – Nov 2, 2005.