San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Transform seeds from jack-o’-lantern into a roasted snack or garnish
Yes, decorative gourd season is upon us, and while the markets are chockablock full of cute striped and ridged little squashes, we’re truly awash in a sea of pumpkins. Everywhere you turn, whether farm stands, grocery stores or stoops, the orange orbs are inescapable.
Like it or not, many of those pumpkins are destined to be carved up, turned into jack-o’lanterns and, if your neighborhood is anything like mine, left to the voracious appetites of wily squirrels.
William Woys Weaver, an author and food ethnographer with a deep knowledge of culinary history and heritage seeds, doesn’t love that people sacrifice produce in the name of decor. But if you’re interested in making at least some use of your pumpkin: Don’t just toss the seeds.
All pumpkin seeds are edible, Weaver says. That doesn’t mean they’re all palatable.
“Some are very tasty, and some are like ‘Oh, why am I bothering with this?’ ”
Growers know which varieties have the tastiest seeds, though that may be less apparent to the typical consumer who stumbles across a pumpkin patch that features a variety of species. If you’re more interested in cooking than carving and want gourds with tasty flesh, seek out small, round sugar pumpkins and bumpy-skinned peanut pumpkins, as well as such varieties as Cinderella, Jarrahdale, Fairytale and Long Island Cheese.
Some pumpkins produce oil-rich seeds that are — you guessed it — pressed to extract pumpkinseed oil, Weaver says. Other varieties have seeds that were ground by Indigenous peoples and used in such foods as puddings. But for the average modern pumpkin carver, the most obvious answer is roasted pumpkin seeds. And keep in mind that everything I’m about to suggest here goes as well for the seeds you get from other winter squash, such as butternut, acorn, Hubbard and kabocha.
Start by pulling, scraping or scooping out the seeds, which will probably come out with slimy, stringy flesh attached. One note: These seeds will not necessarily look like the pumpkin seeds, or pepitas, you buy at the store, which have had their hull removed or come from particular varieties that create hullless seeds. Don’t worry, though, you can eat the hulls, no problem.
Ways to separate seeds
Weaver likes to place the seeds in a sieve under running water, rinsing and rubbing them until they come loose from the flesh.
I prefer putting the strings and seeds into a bowl of water, stirring and agitating to help the seeds break free of the strings. Fun fact, via Weaver — good seeds will float to the top. Sterile seeds, or seeds that are just hull with no edible part inside, will sink. Relegate those to the compost. Scoop the seeds you want to keep off the top with your hand, a spoon or skimmer.
Another option is to fill a large bowl with water and then set a colander or strainer inside of it, Victoria Spencer writes at Martha Stewart’s website. Then when you separate the seeds, it’s easy to lift out the floating seeds with the colander.
In “Ruffage,” cookbook author Abra Berens recommends soaking the seeds overnight in salted water. She says it makes it easier to remove the strings and also more thoroughly flavors the seeds.
Next, thoroughly dry the seeds so they have the best shot at browning. Pat with a clean towel or leave to air dry on a screen or wire rack.
Season, roast, eat
Now it’s time to season the seeds. Cook’s Illustrated recommends a ratio of 2 teaspoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon total spices or spice blend and teaspoon kosher salt ( teaspoon fine salt) per 1 cup of seeds.
What to use for those spices? Berens favors a mild pepper such as Aleppo or Marash. Try using your favorite spice blend, such as Chinese five spice, garam masala or ras al hanout. Or match to the spices used in the dish you want to use the seeds as a garnish for, whether that’s cumin, cayenne, smoked paprika, cinnamon or something else. It’s also fine to just stick with salt.
The temperature at which you roast is not very consequential as long as you get the seeds crisped and golden brown. In his recipe for Seed-to-Skin Squash and Sage Pasta, Washington Post food editor Joe Yonan roasts the seeds at 450 degrees 10-15 minutes. Cook’s Illustrated recommends 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees.
Just use your eyes and nose — they should smell nice and nutty — to determine when the seeds are done. You can roast them on an unlined sheet pan, or you can use parchment or silicone underneath for easier cleanup.
Now that you’ve roasted them, what should you do with those pumpkin and squash seeds?
Of course, they’re a delectable snack on their own. Follow Joe’s lead by putting them on pasta. Or try them for added crunch on top of a salad, slaw or soup, especially if it’s pumpkin. Pumpkin seeds also pop as a garnish scattered on the sour cream atop baked potatoes. With the right warming spices (or no spices at all), they can be stirred into granola.