New England Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

pumpkin seeds and pith Don't throw away (or compost) the innards of your pie or jack-o-lantern pumpkins!  Amongst the tricky pith are treats, delicious seeds! By the way, a serrated grapefruit spoon is my favorite tool for scooping pumpkin flesh.

Soak the pumpkin innards in water for a bit and then separate seeds from stringy pulp by hand. 

rinse pumpkin seeds before roasting

Rinse the seeds in clear water again until they are completely free of orange goop. Strain through a sieve to remove most of the water.

toss pumpkin seeds with soy sauce and old bay

Place seeds in a shallow layer on a cookie sheet pan.  Sprinkle them with soy sauce and Old Bay. For this batch of seeds from 8 pie pumpkins, I used about a teaspoon of each.

Roast in a 300 degree oven for about an hour, turning every 15 minutes.

roasted pumpkin seeds recipe

Let cool and enjoy! Unlike candy treats, home roasted pumpkin seeds are a good source of protein, fiber, and zinc.

roasted pumpkin seeds

Keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a year.

NB: You can save raw (un-roasted) seeds for planting next year by removing them from the pith and placing on a coffee filter to dry completely. Most pumpkins are non-hybridized, meaning they will readily grow and produce fruit from seed. Store thoroughly dry seeds in a paper envelope and direct sow in June for ripe pumpkins near Halloween time.

This post was added to Hearth and Soul Volume 19.