Correct Way to Eat Pumpkin Seeds

The entire pumpkin seed is an edible, nutritious snack.

Pumpkin seeds are a crunchy snack alternative to nuts or chips. Add them to your diet for their nutritional benefits of zinc, magnesium, phytosterols and omega-3 fatty acids, according to North Carolina State University's Cooperative Extension. Eating the seeds with or without the hull is a personal preference, but the entire seed, including the hull, is edible. Boiling the seeds makes removing the hulls easier for eating only the kernels. Toast the seeds before eating to make them more palatable.

Things You'll Need

• 2 tbsp. salt
• 1 qt. water
• Saucepan
• Colander
• Baking sheet

Instructions

1. Bring to a boil the salt and water in the saucepan.

2. Rinse the pumpkin seeds in a colander and transfer to the boiling water.

3. Boil the pumpkin seeds for 30 minutes.

4. Drain the seeds through the colander and let cool slightly.

5. If you want hull-less pumpkin seeds, place a seed between your thumb and forefinger, and squeeze the kernel out of the softened hull. Discard the hull, and set the kernel onto a baking sheet. Skip this step for eating the seeds with their shells intact.

6. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

7. Bake whole pumpkin seeds for 30 to 40 minutes or the hulled kernels for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden-brown and toasted.

8. Cool the pumpkin seeds or kernels before eating whole. Store leftovers for up to one week in an airtight container.

References

• North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension: Strengthening and Sustaining Families
• Utah State University Extension: Can I Have My Pumpkin and Eat It Too?
• University of Alaska -- Fairbanks Cooperative Extension: Pumpkin Seeds