The Times They Are A Changing

When carving your Jack-o-lanterns or cooking your fresh pumpkin, don’t throw away the seeds. Not only are they a nutritious snack, but if you are selling your pumpkins at the farmers market or at a roadside stand, they can make a great added item to sell.

Step 1. Prepare the pumpkin seeds by washing them under cold water to get them clean and wash off any of the pulp still left on. Lay the seeds out onto paper towels to remove as much moisture as possible.

Step 2. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray a large baking sheet with oil. Spread the seeds out on the pan and spray them on top. An alternate is to rub a heavy coat of oil on the pan and then stir the seeds to oil coat them.

Step 3. Sprinkle the seeds with salt if desired. Bake the them for approximately 25 minutes. Stir them after the first 10 or 15 minutes.

Step 4. Remove them from the oven and cool. Store in zip log plastic bags or container.

Use your roasted pumpkin seeds as snacks, on salads, as a garnish to vegetables or as you would nuts in cookies or candy such as peanut brittle.

Alternate Recipes

* Melt 1 tablespoon butter and add 1/8 teaspoon garlic salt, 1/8 teaspoon onion salt, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce to 2 cups raw pumpkin seeds and roast as above, just use a slight oil spray on the pan.

* Melt 1 tablespoon butter and add ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice to 2 cups raw pumpkin seeds and roast as above, just use a slight oil spray on the pan.

Use your imagination - granola with pumpkin seeds, chocolate chip pumpkin seed cookies, Checks party mix with pumpkin seeds, pumpkin seed brittle candy.