Roasted, salted and out of your gourd
Inside every jack o'lantern is a nutty snack waiting to get out — pumpkin seeds
Halloween season is a time for horrifying stories. So, have you heard the one about the kids who braved touching pumpkin guts to carve their jack o' lanterns — only to throw the insides away?
If the stuff inside the skull-to-be is only goop to you, consider joining the ranks of pumpkin seed eaters. Separated from the pulp and treated to a little oil, salt and oven-roasting, pumpkin seeds become a crunchy, nutty snack that can easily take on your favorite spices.
Pumpkin seeds are eaten across the world, and especially prized in Mexico and India. Researchers have linked eating pumpkin seeds to cancer prevention, and they are loaded with magnesium, zinc and fiber.
Better yet, they are loaded with memories for generations of children who grew up munching on roasted pumpkin seeds once the carving was over. Jordana Geist, an Amherst nutrition consultant, said medicinal properties are only the beginning of the pumpkin seed lure.
"It's also this ritual that we really only do once a year, sort of a marker in people's lives," said Geist.
In a world where everything is available every day of the year — Christmas cookies whenever you want, every exotic fruit you like — "roasting pumpkin seeds is really something you only do at this time of year, because that's when you're carving your pumpkin," Geist said. "It also nourishes people in a whole different way that you don't even think about, that is really very warming and nourishing to the soul."
The basics are simple. First, scoop out the pulp and seeds inside the pumpkin; a large metal spoon is ideal.
Then, separate the seeds from the pulp.
"I just use scissors and cut them away from the stringy parts," said Sandy Starks, program director at Forest Lawn Cemetery and local food activist.
Starks, who grew up roasting pumpkin seeds at Halloween with her mother, rinses the seeds well in a colander and dries them on towels.
Geist likes the all-natural approach, with help from little hands. "You want to have some children around, to do all the picking of the guts out," she said. "It's weird, it's goopy, the slime dries on your hands, but that's part of the fun. You need to work for your treat here."
Unrinsed, the pumpkin juice helps spice mixtures stick, Geist said, making the oil or butter used in many roasted pumpkin seed recipes unnecessary.
Starks simply roasts seeds tossed with a little olive oil and salt (see recipe). To turn them into something even better, she sautes them in butter and brown sugar, and uses the glazed seeds as snacks or salad toppers.
Seed eaters ought to know that, when picking a pumpkin, "Size does matter," Geist said. "Bigger is not better."
Her advice, relayed from Heather Pope at George's Produce on Main Street in Williamsville, is to look for a pumpkin the size of an adult's head. The bigger pumpkins get, the worse the seeds are for eating. Gourds, whose seeds have tougher hulls, are not widely eaten.
If you are a seed fancier, like Millie Awald, you could buy a kind of pumpkin developed specifically for seed eating. Since she is an owner of Awald's Berry Farm, which grows several types of pumpkins, Awald has the inside track.
The Snack Jack pumpkin variety, sold at the Awald stand on Shirley Road in North Collins, has "hull-less" seeds, Awald said.
"You can eat them like popcorn, and you don't have to spit out all that stuff," Awald said of the Snack Jack seeds. "People are getting used to them, so they're coming back and getting them by the half bushel."
Awald, who grew up eating the seeds, simply roasts cleaned seeds tossed in a little oil for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees. There are no Middle Eastern spice mixtures in her pumpkin seed plans.
"Add a little salt if you want," she said. "I like them plain, that's all, with a little salt."
Sandy Starks' Glazed Pumpkin Seeds
2 cups pumpkin seeds, cleaned and dried
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 tablespoons (half a stick) butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
Salt, to taste
Pinch ground cayenne pepper
Toss seeds with olive oil and salt, and bake at 350 degrees in a single layer on cookie sheets. Remove from oven and increase temperature to 375. In skillet, melt butter and stir in sugar, until sugar absorbs butter.
Add roasted seeds and saute until well coated. Place in a single layer, using nonstick liners like Silpats if possible. Roast until caramelized, being careful not to overcook the thin seeds. They will get crunchier as they cool.
These treats will keep for a month in a tightly sealed container — if they last that long.
Jordana Geist's Healthy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
2 cups raw pumpkin seeds
Cooking spray
Spice mixture (see below)
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cover a cookie sheet with foil and spray lightly with vegetable oil cooking spray. Spread the depulped but unrinsed seeds out in a single, even layer. Sprinkle with seasonings of choice. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, until seeds are crispy and starting to crackle. They can get a little brown on the edges, but don't let them burn.
This simple preparation takes to all sorts of variations, some with added health benefits, Geist suggests.
Zaatar, Curry and Salt: Zaatar is a Middle Eastern seasoning that contains a mixture of herbs, seeds and spices, often including sumac, thyme, roasted sesame seeds, oregano and hyssop.
In addition to making your house smell exotic, Geist said, you'll reap the benefits of this ancient seasoning combo, which includes improved digestion as well as protecting your immune system with antioxidants and antimicrobials.
Zaatar is available at markets catering to Lebanese, Palestinian and other Middle Eastern cooks.
Zaatar-Curry Pumpkin Seeds
2 cups raw pumpkin seeds
1 teaspoon zaatar
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt or sea salt
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
Mix seasonings together before sprinkling on top of seeds.
Buffalo Wing Pumpkin Seeds: Chili is a natural anti-inflammatory and cumin is considered a powerful kidney and liver cleanser that can help boost your immune system. And let's face it, these are going to be better for your health than wings.
Buffalo Wing Pumpkin Seeds
2 cups raw pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons melted butter or olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
Mix together butter or oil and Tabasco sauce and drizzle over the seeds. Combine spices and sprinkle over the coated seeds. Toss well to coat.
Cinnamon and Salt Pumpkin Seeds: In addition to all the health benefits that come from the pumpkin seeds, you'll get the benefits of cinnamon, Geist said, a spice that may have a regulatory effect on blood sugar and contains anti-inflammatory properties.
The smell of baking cinnamon also boosts cognitive function and memory, Geist said. "That way, you're more likely to remember if you ate four mini-Snickers bars while checking through your kids' candy, or was it five?"
While Geist's recipe includes no sugar, you could add a tablespoon of brown sugar to the mix. This will make them stickier, so beware of burning.
Salt and Cinnamon Pumpkin Seeds
2 cups raw pumpkin seeds
1 teaspoon coarse salt or sea salt
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Mix cinnamon and salt together before sprinkling over raw seeds. Roast as directed above.
Find more pumpkin seed recipes at blogs.buffalonews.com/hungryformore
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