You can roast pumpkin seeds with or without their shells. Kids love to snack on them, shells intact—something about nibbling and spitting that’s right up their alley. You can flavor the seeds simply with salt or with one of the spice combos I’ve listed, for a great homemade snacking treat.
Makes 1 cup seeds
1 cup pumpkin seeds, hulled or hull-less
2 teaspoons olive oil
salt
Optional Flavoring Ideas
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon combined with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon curry powder or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger combined with 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
To roast the pumpkin seeds with their hulls, preheat the oven to 275 F. Rinse the seeds in a colander, then boil in a large pot of salted water for 10 minutes. Drain. Arrange in a single layer on a rimmed cookie sheet. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, until dry, tossing occasionally to ensure even cooking. Drizzle with the oil, sprinkle with salt and flavoring, if using, and roast for an additional 10 minutes, or until just beginning to brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature (the seeds will crisp as they cool), then store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
To roast hull-less pumpkin seeds, preheat the oven to 325 F. Toss the seeds with the oil, salt, and flavorings, if using. Arrange on a rimmed cookie sheet in a single layer. Roast for 10 minutes. Serve hot or allow to cool to room temperature and store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
Sherri Brooks Vinton is the Chair of Slow Food Los Angeles and the author of a number of farm-to-table cookbooks including “Put ‘em Up! A Comprehensive Home Preserving Guide for the Creative Cook” and “Eat it Up! 150 Recipes to Use Every Bit and Enjoy Every Bite of the Food You Buy”.