Delicious Homemade Pumpkin Seeds Recipe
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I know you’re all thinking it, so I’ll just come out and say it… “Chris, you’re about 3 to 4 weeks late on this post!” And at this point I begin to think of a good excuse… and realize I don’t have one. Oops. So as an extra bonus feature with this post I’m going to give you TWO recipes. That’s right, two for the price of two one; the truth is, I was going to give you two recipes in this post anyway. Okay, confession time is over, and so is Halloween, and in here in Northern Utah, so is the pumpkin harvest. This probably means that most of you have either 1) already cooked up your pumpkin seeds, 2) thrown your pumpkin seeds away, or 3) left them in your fridge and they’re covered with a gooey white film and molding. Gross. Don’t ask how I know about the white film.
I do know, however, that at different times of the year you can still buy bagged, uncooked pumpkin seeds in the grocery stores. Yes! A reason to still create this blog entry. As always, a printable version is available at the bottom of the post. In today’s case, both pumpkin seed recipes are available. Here we go.
Just because I love music: My Current iTunes Music Track.
I’ve mixed pictures from two different pumpkin seed batches I made after gutting my pumpkins this year, so the pictures are mixed, but I think the point is still clear.
Simple and Tasty Homemade Pumpkin Seed Recipes
INGREDIENTS
Pumpkin Seed Recipe #1: Butter and Worcestershire Sauce
For Boiling
2 cups water
1/2 tablespoon salt, per 1 cup of water
2 cups pumpkin seeds
The Sauce
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
Pumpkin Seed Recipe #2: BBQ & Spice
For Boiling
2 cups water
1/2 tablespoon salt, per 1 cup of water
2 cups pumpkin seeds
The Sauce
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons BBQ sauce, your favorite
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 pinch pepper
1/8 teaspoon chili powder, optional
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice, optional
METHOD
1. Begin by choosing a couple of nice pumpkins that are ripe and ready for carving. Once you have them, take your knife to ‘em and gut them out.
2. Or you could let them gut themselves…
My pumpkin had a lot of guts…
3. Separate the seeds from the the other pumpkin innards and wash them clean. I found they’re easier to clean if you put them in a big bowl full of water and rub them around in your fingers for a bit to loosen the stringy orange pumpkin guts. Guts. Guts. I like that word. Guts. You’ll need 2 cups of pumpkin seeds for either recipe, or 4 cups of pumpkin seeds if you’re going to make both recipes.
4. Dissolve 1 tablespoon salt into 2 cups boiling water and then add 2 cups pumpkin seeds. Boil for 10 minutes.
5. Spread your seeds out to dry on a cookie sheet lined with a non-fuzzy towel or wax paper. DO NOT USE A PAPER TOWEL. If you use a paper towel you will end up cursing under your breath for the next 5 hours while you pick the paper towel off the dried seeds. This is a mistake that you’ll only make once, trust me. Allow the seeds to dry for a couple hours in a warm area. If you’re an impatient person, you can use a hair dryer. But don’t use a clothes dryer. That’s a bad idea.
Every once in a while turn them over so they dry more evenly. They don’t have to be completely dry to continue, just mostly dry. However, the more dry your pumpkin seeds are, the less time they have to bake.
7. While the seeds are drying, and just before you’re ready to work with them again, create a sauce.
Sauce 1: Butter & Worcestershire Sauce. This is the recipe my mom always used as when I was a patojo.
Sauce 2: BBQ and Spice. I created this recipe just this season for a change of pace.
8. Once they’re dry enough (it’s all relative, right?) Mix the seeds together in the sauces you prepared and spread them out on an ungreased cookie sheet. If you’re making both seed recipes, then spread the different types of seeds on two separate cookie sheets. You don’t want to mix the flavors.
9. Bake each batch of seeds 1 – 2 hours or until golden brown and crispy; pull them out of the oven and flip every 15 minutes for even baking. I also eat a couple seeds each time. If they’re bitter or sour, then they’re not done. If you dried your seeds completely, then you may only need to bake them for 20 minutes. If you’re baking the BBQ batch, you’ll want to check them every 10 minutes during the last stretch. The darker sauce color can be a little beguiling and hence easier to overcook. Once the seeds are done baking, pull them out and enjoy! I eat my seeds with the shell. No need to crack these guys open.
Pumpkin Seed Recipe #1: Butter and Worcestershire Sauce
Pumpkin Seed Recipe #2: BBQ and Fall Spice
That’s pretty much all there is to it! Pumpkin seeds are really easy to make, they’re just time consuming, so don’t start this late at night. I should probably post this warning at the beginning of the post… nah. You read to the end, right?
Download & Print
Pumpkin Seeds: Butter & Worcestershire Sauce
(PDF, 1 page, 136 kb)
Download & Print
Pumpkin Seeds: BBQ & Spice
(PDF, 1 page, 136 kb)
I think my favorite picture is of the vomiting jack-o-lantern.
Ha ha! Thanks :) I made that jack-o-lantern specifically for this post.
Love your photos. I actually made my own roasted pumpkin seeds using the method you outlined, but was unhappy with the results. Either you have very good teeth or you did something that I didn’t, because mine had chewy parts that I didn’t appreciate. The green pumpkin seeds in the store are more tender without that chewy rim, and I decided I’ll just buy them.
Judy, thanks for the compliment. I’ve made a few botched batches of pumpkin seeds as well. I’ve found that the longer you take making them (the boiling, letting them dry, and the baking), the better they turn out, especially when it comes to baking them. I almost always end up baking my for at least 2 hours at a fairly low temperature, turning them every 15-20 minutes. Since I’ve been doing that, it’s been smooth sailin’. Around the 1-1/2 hour mark I taste test the seeds, and if they still have that chewiness to them, I roast them for another 15 minutes. It often takes me 6+ hours to complete a batch of seeds on days that I’m patient… which typically isn’t the case.
Maybe one of the following suggestions will help for your next batch:
1. Use medium-sized pumpkin seeds.
2. After boiling them in salt water, allow more time for them to dry (in the sun if possible).
3. Bake at a lower temperature for a longer period of time.
4. Spread them out thinner on the baking sheet for baking.
I’m not an amazing pro-chef or anything, but sometimes the little changes can make a big difference.