Prepare Raw Pumpkin Seeds

Prepare raw pumpkin seeds into a tasty, toasted snack.

During the fall when pumpkin season peaks, an abundance of raw pumpkin seeds floods kitchens. These usually appear as the leftovers from carving a jack o'lantern or making a pumpkin pie. Do not throw away those raw seeds. They can be made into a healthy snack for any time of the year. Toasting the pumpkin seeds brings out their crunchy texture and rich flavor, similar to sunflower seeds. Eat pumpkin seeds the same way that you do sunflower seeds by cracking the hull between your teeth and spitting it out before enjoying the kernel inside.

Instructions

1. Put the pumpkin seeds in a colander and rinse them under running water until no more strings or pumpkin flesh clings to the seeds.

2. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

3. Pat the rinsed pumpkin seeds dry on a towel.

4. Toss the seeds in a medium bowl with the optional vegetable oil and optional salt.

5. Scatter the seeds into a single layer in the baking pan.

6. Toast the seeds at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant.

7. Cool the seeds in the pan before eating.

Tags: pumpkin seeds, degrees Fahrenheit, seeds into, sunflower seeds