Baking Pumpkin Seeds is Fall Family Fun

If you ask your children what you can do with pumpkins from the vegetable garden, they will immediately think of jack-o’-lanterns and pies. You can teach them a new trick this fall by baking pumpkin seeds.

A variety of easy pumpkin seed recipes are available on the Internet. Pumpkin seeds make nutty-tasting, nutritious snacks. The seeds contain protein, fiber, iron and phosphorous. In some cultures, pumpkin seeds have been used to treat depression and learning disorders. Studies are underway to determine if pumpkin seeds can help decrease the risk of developing prostrate cancer.

You don’t have to tell your kids how nutritious pumpkin seeds are. Just enjoy the fun of baking the seeds together. Follow the easy recipe below.

Simple Salted Pumpkin Seeds

• 1 Cups Pumpkin Seeds
• 2 Tablespoons Melted Butter
• Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Stir seeds into melted butter until they are well coated.

Add salt. Spread the seeds in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Roast for 20-25 minutes until the seeds are a golden brown. Stir pumpkin seeds occasionally during cooking.

Cool seeds completely and enjoy.

After the seeds have cooled, you can remove the hulls or eat them just they way they are. Store baked pumpkin seeds in an airtight container.

Experiment with different types of spices. Substitute a Cajun spice blend, cayenne pepper or garlic powder for the table salt. If you want a saltier taste, boil the seeds in salt water for 10 minutes before baking.

If you prefer a sweet flavor, roll seeds in a cinnamon sugar mixture after coating them with butter. Put parchment or no-stick foil on the cookie sheet to bake these sweet seeds.

Before you roast all of your pumpkin seeds, remember this gardening tip: Set a few seeds aside. These free seeds will start next year’s pumpkin patch.

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