We have had so many pumpkins in the garden this year. They have trailed themselves across paths, down walls (with the pumpkins hanging on for dear life) and jostled for space with the other veg (they have won, hands down). We have grown pumpkins for several years, but I have always scooped the seeds out and chucked them into the chicken pot*. What was I thinking? Roasted pumpkin seeds are delicious. The transformation is startling. If you are tempted to try a seed part of the way through cooking, when you think they might be done, you will be bitterly disappointed and think that I have gone mad telling you to make these. But if you wait until they caramelise then you will understand. Something happens in their chemistry that makes you think you added crushed chilli when you weren’t concentrating properly. Be warned, these little bites are addictive and you will find yourself cooking with pumpkin just so you can eat the roasted seeds.
This weekend, when every one will be scooping out their Halloween pumpkins, is the perfect time to enjoy these. By the way, when did we move on from scooping out swedes?
I don’t bother washing the seeds as I think bits of pumpkin flesh hanging on to them add a lot to their flavour. I scrape them out, remove most of the flesh, lay onto a lightly oiled baking tray so that they are in a single layer and sprinkle with a little more oil and sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Place into a preheated oven at 140°c, gas mark 1 or the simmering oven of the Aga and cook for about 30-40 minutes. Keep an eye on them as the ones at the edge of the tray may start to burn and will need stirring into the middle. When they have a good caramel brown colour all over they are ready. Leave to cool a little and then dig in.
*I probably should explain that we have a pot that sits by the side of our sink and any veg scraps get thrown into it for our brood of hungry chickens. They are now missing out on pumpkin seeds. Poor, poor chickens.
I can’t imagine why I’ve never thought of doing this. Brilliant idea. Thanks.
I know Margaret, I keep thinking of all those pumpkin seeds I have missed.
Oh I put my scoopings on the compost heap yesterday, silly me!
I have another pumpkin and will definitely try the seeds,
Hope your chickens don’t sulk now you are depriving them!!
Oh no, I was too late with my post, at least you have another and you must try them. The chickens are sulking a bit, but they get plenty of other things to distract them.
Sound yummy. I have a picture of your garden in my head with all those trailing pumpkins – and I have chicken envy 🙂
Well, now we have the trailing plants slowly rotting away since we have picked all the pumpkins and not yet got into the garden to do the winter tidy. We must, we know we must.
I’d like a pumpkin, make that two and some roasted seeds (I bet the aga does it better!) I will be round to collect them tomorrow at 11! Milk, no sugar and a muffin too please.
Oh how lovely would that be? Tea with Rach and Luca. I would be very excited and lots and lots of muffins would be baked.
Sounds like the perfect snack to me. Poor chickens. How about a virtual tea party for all of us with Rachel and Luca?
A virtual tea party would be lovely, a real one would be even better.
They look so tempting and tasty, very clever way to use ever last bit of the pumpkins. Cinders will be ever so impressed ;0)
Ha ha, I hope Cinders is impressed!
We love pumpkin seeds, too. You are so right about how addictive they are! Thanks for the bit about leaving on some of the flesh. Great idea- especially when it allows for less work.
Leaving a bit of the flesh on definitely adds to the sweetness.
poor poor chickens, indeed! You’ve made this sound so delicious and easy. I never bothered, because I thought I had to clean off all the flesh. thanks, Kath!
They don’t suffer too much Nancy (what they don’t know, won’t hurt them) 😉
I am so jealous of your pumpkins dripping about the place. We’ve had a solitary one this year and it hasn’t ripened properly, so will have to be eaten very quickly I fear. That bright orange flesh is one of the things that keep us going through the winter months with it’s brightness reminding us of better times 😉
Haven’t roasted the seeds for a few years now, but you are right they are delicious. Do you eat them shells and all?
I have to admit they haven’t stored well this year, we had a lot that got chucked to the chickens because they had rotted. I do eat them shells and all and very delicious they are too.