Carving pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns is a tradition children love. The mess is part of the fun for the kids, but for mom, the load of seemingly useless pumpkin guts can be a pain! Here’s a recipe for toasted pumpkin seeds that will have you looking forward to scooping out this year’s Halloween pumpkins.
Handy Tip: Smaller pumpkins actually give better tasting seeds, and more of them, than mega-large pumpkins.
Step 1: Scoop out the pumpkin guts and separate the seeds from the stringy core into a large bowl.
Step 2: Rinse the seeds thoroughly and layer them on dish towels (paper towels will stick) to dry them out overnight.
Step 3: In the morning, pile the seeds into a bowl and coat generously with melted butter.
Step 4: In a single layer, flatten them out on cookie sheets and salt liberally with Kosher salt.
Step 5: Bake in the oven at 350-degrees for approximately 30 minutes, mixing/turning them over half-way, until golden brown and crunchy.
Step 6: Enjoy!