Pumpkin seeds are healthy to eat and easy to make.
Save the seeds from cutting a fresh pumpkin, and make roasted pumpkin seeds. The seeds will be a cheaper, fresher and healthier snack option than packaged potato chips from the store. Perfectly roasted pumpkin seeds have a rich flavor and slight crunch.
Preparation
Roasting pumpkin seeds in an oven darkens the coloring on the seeds and improves the flavor over microwaving or drying the seeds. Remove the seeds from a fresh pumpkin, or other hard, winter squash. Rinse the seeds off to remove the strings from them. Toss the seeds with 1 tbsp. of olive oil and seasonings of your choice. Roast the seeds for 30 to 40 minutes at 300 degrees Fahrenheit or until lightly toasted. You can also increase the temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and roast the seeds for 12 to 15 minutes, but the higher temperature increases the chances of burning the seeds. Wait for the seeds to cool completely before eating.
Seasonings
Use your imagination when flavoring your pumpkin seeds. All spices should be added when tossing the seeds with oil. Plain salt is a favorite seasoning option, but other spices can also be added. Try spice mixtures such as barbecue seasoning, crab boil seasoning, Cajun spice seasoning, Asian five-spice seasoning, or Italian dressing dry mix. Toss the pumpkin seeds with cinnamon and sugar for a sweet treat. Try hickory-smoked salt instead of plain table salt for a barbecued flavor. Chili powder and lime or garlic and onion powders will enhance the flavor of pumpkin seeds used as an ingredient in Latin-American recipes or as a snack for a fiesta.
Nutrition
Roasted pumpkin seeds are a nutritious snack any time of the day. According to the USDA National Nutrient Database, a 1-oz. serving of roasted whole pumpkin seeds (85 seeds) without salt contains only 126 calories. There are only 5.5 grams of fat in the same serving size. Pumpkin seeds are also a valuable source of protein and fiber, with 5.2 grams of each per serving. Pumpkin seeds are also a good source of potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc. Naturally, pumpkin seeds have a low level of sodium, but adding salt to the seasonings will change this depending on the amount of salt used.
Serving and Storage
Serve the pumpkin seeds as a snack, recipe ingredient, or to top salads and soups. Eat the entire seed whole, or crack the shell with your teeth and spit it out. Seal the cooled roasted pumpkin seeds in an air-tight container. The fat in pumpkin seeds causes them to become rancid after two days at room temperature, but they can be stored for up to two months in the refrigerator.
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