How Do I Tell If the Pumpkin Seeds Are Ready to Roast?

Pumpkin seeds can be roasted.

Fresh pumpkins sold in supermarkets in October typically become Halloween Jack-O-Lanterns, and their fruit, used to make pumpkin pies and pumpkin bread, eventually rots. But the seeds, which you pull from inside the pumpkin along with the stringy innards, need not go to waste. Whether you are carving a Jack-O-Lantern or using fresh pumpkins in a recipe, don't toss out the seeds. Reserve them and get them ready to roast for a healthy snack.

Things You'll Need

• Paper towel
• Home food dehydrator (optional)

Instructions

1. Select a pumpkin that is uniformly orange and hard. Choose a ripe pumpkin if harvesting from the garden or purchasing one from a store.

2. Wash the pumpkin seeds in water, rinsing off the sticky film left by the pumpkin innards to make the seeds ready for roasting.

3. Arrange the pumpkin seeds in a single layer on a paper towel and allow them to dry. When the pumpkin seeds are dry, they are ready to roast.

4. Arrange the dried pumpkin seeds in a single layer on the tray of a home food dehydrator. Place the tray in the dehydrator and turn the temperature between 115 and 120 degrees F. Process for two hours. This step is optional, as some recipes call for dehydration prior to roasting pumpkin seeds and others do not.

Tips & Warnings

• Pumpkin seeds for roasting should be whole, intact seeds and not shriveled.

References

• University of Illinois Extension: Home Hort Hints: Harvesting and Storing Pumpkins, Winter Squash, and Gourds
• Utah State University Extension: Can I Have My Pumpkin and Eat It Too?
• Penn State University: Healthy Lifestyle: Fall Festival