Roasted Pumpkin Seeds Three Ways

Halloween is over but Thanksgiving is on the horizon. Whether you carve your pumpkin or just use its meat for pie, don't throw out those slimy pumpkin guts! In the spirit of conserving food waste roast the seeds to make a simple and tasty snack. Here are three simple ways to season and roast pumpkin seeds.

The first thing you need to do is clean the pumpkin seeds. Here is how I do it:

• Separate the seeds from the slimy and stringy pumpkin guts as best you can.
• Transfer the (mostly) cleaned seeds to a large bowl of water.
• The seeds will float to the top, the guts to the bottom; skim the seeds off the top.
• Wash the seeds and let them dry.

Now let's roast those seeds! Instead of just salting them, I am going to roast them three different ways: Coffee and Chili flavored, Maple and Sea Salt flavored, and classic (okay, that is just salted). Listed below is the ingredients you will need for seasoning one cup of raw pumpkin seeds.

Recipe: Coffee and Chili Flavored Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 1/8 teaspoon of olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon finely ground coffee
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Recipe: Maple and Sea Salt Flavored Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Recipe: Salted Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1. I like my pumpkin seeds salty. That is, after I suck off whatever spice I put on them, I still want the seed itself to be salted. To accomplish this, I simmer them in salted water before flavoring them. Do do this, place the seeds in a sauce pan with just enough water to cover, adding 1 tablespoon of salt for every cup of pumpkin seeds. Bring it to a boil and let them simmer for about five minutes. Strain the seeds and let them completely dry.

2. Now mix your raw pumpkin seeds with the seasonings listed above. How tasty does this chili and coffee seasoning look?!

3. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, and while keeping the flavored seeds separated, spread them out into a single layer.

4. Roast them at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until the salted seeds just begin to look toasted--don't let them burn!

Enjoy!