PUMPKIN SEED FLOUR

Nutritional data per 100g: 49g fat, 30g protein, 15g carbohydrates High in magnesium and zinc

PROCESSING

Harvest pumpkins and store them in a dry airy place out of the sun. Leave to finish maturing for a couple of weeks before removing the seeds for better taste.

Seeds in our Austrian oilseed variety are easy to remove: cut the pumpkin in half and pull on the seeds – they should come away quite cleanly from the flesh.

Dry in the sun on a tray, in a dehydrator, or in the oven on the lowest setting. It should only take a couple of hours in the oven, depending on the temperature. If it's too high, you get roasted (very tasty) pumpkin seeds.

Once fully dry, store in an airtight container in a cool dark place or the fridge if necessary. Grind flour fresh and use it within the week.

RESULT

We use it in seed crackers and for crumbing schnitzel. Pumpkin seeds have quite a strong flavour, especially when ground, so I don't use them in baking.

Rebecca’s notes

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Each

pumpkin yields just 60g of dried seeds, but unlike nut trees which take years to grow, you can grow a crop each summer.

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The

flesh of Austrian oilseed is rather tasteless and no good for roasting or any pumpkin dish. We add it to soups and stews, and it could be grated and used in place of courgette or marrow in some recipes.

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We

use the pumpkins as pig food during slow grass growth, scooping out the seeds and giving the pigs everything else.

The best pumpkin variety for seeds is the Austrian oilseed (also known as the Austrian hulless).

Drying pumpkin seeds in the dehydrator.

Pumpkin seed crackers.