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One of my favorite fall traditions is carving jack-o-lanterns and then baking the pumpkin seeds.
I remember carving jack-o-lanterns when I was a kid and started carving them with my kids several years ago. At first, the kids would create a plan for the jack-o-lanterns and I would do the carving, so no one lost any fingers. Then we advanced to the stage where the kids would carve the pumpkins and I would get the wonderful job of cleaning out the guts. We’ve now advanced to the stage where they did all the carving and most of the pumpkin gut removal.
Somewhere along the way, I discovered that baked pumpkin seed are delicious and we started collecting them during our jack-o-lantern carving. In years past that was mostly my activity, but this year my daughter helped me prepare the seeds.
I rinsed the seeds right after we carved our pumpkins and let them dry overnight. The next day my daughter applied the olive oil and seasoning. We used olive oil, salt, seasoned salt, pepper and a bit of paprika. Then we baked them for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees and they were ready to eat.
This year, we bought our pumpkins from the Pipestone Area Chamber of Commerce and they were huge. As such, we had more pumpkin seeds to bake then ever before, which is great because we all love the once-a-year treat.
Apparently, the seeds are not only tasty; they’re quite healthy, too, with omega-3 fatty acids and minerals like manganese, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc and iron. They also have antioxidants, are high in fiber and are a good source of protein. They’re good for the heart, blood pressure and more, according to various online sources.
In addition to all of that, they come with packaging that makes a pretty cool seasonal decoration with a little creativity and carving. Extracting them also provides an opportunity for some family fun.
If you’ve been throwing those pumpkin seeds away after carving your jack-o-lanterns, I would highly recommend baking them and giving them a try.