- Ready in 2 days! - (this includes 48 hours soaking time) -
* Uses up the seeds from your pumpkin*
Soaking the seeds first, in salted water, helps to break down the tough fibres in the outer seed casing - so when you are eating the roasted seeds you won't get that horrid 'scratchy' / 'tickly' sensation when you swallow the tasty snack.
Gather together...
The raw seeds from a carved pumpkin.
Lidded jam jar / equivalent Tupperware, full of cold water.
1 tsp salt
Topping(s) of your choice;
Pinch of salt and pepper.
1 tsp of maple syrup - or you can use golden syrup, (DON'T ADD TOO MUCH liquid or they will be soggy and chewy).
1 tsp of smoked paprika.
1 tsp of balsamic vinegar (DON'T ADD TOO MUCH liquid or they will be soggy and chewy).
Get cooking...
1. Wash the raw pumpkin seeds in warm water in a sieve and remove as much of the orange pumpkin flesh as possible.
2. Soak the seeds for 48 hours in cold water, with 1 tsp of salt, in a lidded container, in the fridge. This helps to break down the tough fibres in the seeds.
3. After soaking for 48 hours, rinse the seeds under hot water in a sieve and pat them dry with a tea towel.
4. Preheat the oven to 180 C (160 C fan) or Gas 4. It is best to make these whilst cooking another dish, so you don't heat the whole oven just to make this snack.
5. Put the seeds on a baking tray, sprinkle with EITHER a pinch of salt and pepper, OR a 1 tsp drizzle of syrup, OR a scattering of smoked paprika, OR a 1 tsp drizzle of balsamic vinegar (balsamic is our favourite topping). Mix the topping you choose thoroughly through the seeds.
6. Roast the seeds in the oven for 30 - 45 minutes until golden, MIXING THEM AROUND approximately halfway through. Watch carefully that the syrup-topped and balsamic-vinegar-topped seeds don't burn - these may need to come out 5 minutes earlier.
7. Allow the roasted seeds to cool for a few minutes before snacking on them or scattering them over pumpkin soup.
8. If storing them, allow them to COOL COMPLETELY, before keeping them in an air-tight lidded container for a maximum of two days.