Spicy Sweet Pumpkin Seeds ♥

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Yesterday an e-mail arrived from Ralph, a most careful reader of yesterday's recipe for butternut squash. No good! he objected to a detail. "One of the most nutritious and yummy things is the seeds. Don't discard." And good luck, this time I didn't. What do you do with pumpkin seeds? Any tips to share?

So -- what to do with pumpkin seeds, you know, the gunky ones scooped from Halloween jack o' lanterns and pie pumpkins and yes, even other winter squash?

This is the third year I've tried to create a good recipe for pumpkin seeds. I've got it! The taste is a combination of spicy and sweet - with a little bite that yumm, just works. It's an easy concept recipe: just toss raw seeds briefly into a hot simple syrup, then toss in a spice rub, then with big crystals of demerara sugar.

PUMPKIN SEED TIPS

HOW to CLEAN PUMPKIN SEEDS After scooping the seeds out of the pumpkin, put them in a colander and run water through them, working the seeds with your hands to remove the bits of flesh still attached. This takes a few minutes but makes for pumpkin seeds worth eating.
HOW to DRY PUMPKIN SEEDS Don't let paper towels come within a yard of pumpkin seeds! The pumpkin seeds stick to the paper just don't want to come off. Instead use parchment or foil.
DO YOU EAT the WHOLE PUMPKIN SEED? The pumpkin 'seed' itself is actually housed inside a hull, a fibrous shell. To some palates, the hull is decidedly unpalatable. But for me, whole pumpkin seeds are edible, in fact, chewy delicious and easy to enjoy one or two at a time rather than by the handful.

SPICY SWEET PUMPKIN SEEDS

Hands-on time: 10 minutes?
Time to table: 2 hours?
Makes about 1 cup

Seeds from a pumpkin or winter squash, washed well (dried in a single layer on parchment or foil if done ahead of time)

SIMPLE SYRUP
1 cup water
1 cup sugar

Bring water and sugar to a boil in a saucepan. Drop seeds into hot liquid and let cook for 4 - 5 minutes. Drain seeds in a colander.

SPICE RUB (enough for an estimated four or five pumpkins, good on pork, too!)
1 tablespoon Spanish paprika (also called pimentón, it's smoky goodness)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper (I used a coarse ground)

Mix.

ASSEMBLE
Still-wet seeds
Spice rub
Demerara or large-crystal sugar (turbinado, raw sugar)

Place still-wet seeds on a piece of parchment. Toss with just enough rub to lightly coat. Toss with just enough sugar to coat. Separate into individual seeds or small clumps to dry.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Quarter Cup: 71 Cal (38% from Fat, 16% from Protein, 46% from Carb); 3 g Protein; 3 g Tot Fat; 1 g Sat Fat; 1 g Mono Fat; 9 g Carb; 0 g Fiber; 0 g Sugar; 9 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 3 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 1 point

Note: I'm suspicious of this figure from the USDA database, it has ZERO fiber and clearly, the hulls are seriously fibrous. That said, the Watchers Watchers points comes in at 1 point, whether 4 grams or 0 grams of fiber are used.

MORE VEGETABLE RECIPES from the ARCHIVES

~ more pumpkin recipes ~
~ last week's delicious and easy pumpkin bars ~
~ my long-time favorite recipe for pumpkin bread ~

~ two years ago today Greens & Stems with Mustard, a Weight Watchers favorite with zero points, "a great way to cook greens ... without fat" ~

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Comments:

Pille on October 09, 2007

That sounds grand, Alanna! I've roasted pumpkin seeds before, with plain salt, and liked them a lot that way. I don't eat the husks, however. You're a brave woman :)

Cynthia on October 09, 2007

I'd be willing to try this but I can't stand that outer shell.

It would be interesting to make some sort of paste with the inner seed - it could be something sweet or savoury. Perhaps a pumpkin seed butter!

Cedar on October 09, 2007

What a great idea, I have always just cooked them with a bit of salt. That sounds grand though.

I too enjoy the outer shell!

Tricia on October 09, 2007

So you're not roasting the seeds? I guess you are 'cooking' them, in the boiling syrup. Is this boiling step what leads to the sort of moist pumpkin seeds in convenience stores, as opposed to the hard and crunchy ones I get when roasting at home? Or do they just roast for a shorter time?

Jennifer on October 09, 2007

I just threw out the seeds from a butternut squash I roasted last week, and I caught myself thinking that I should save them. Next time, I will, and I'll cook them this way; I love the sound of that spice mix.

Mama Luxe on October 09, 2007

I really enjoy pumpkin seeds and this looks scrumptious.

I just subscribed to your blog--your recipes look DELICIOUS!

I also sent you an e-mail because I am having a Halloween recipe carnival (just in case the e-mail gets stuck in your junk mail)...hope to see you there!

Nabeela on October 09, 2007

My mom used to make the effort to make pumpkin seed recipes...not me though...I'm too lazy. But your post is inspiring me to do just that next time :)

Deborah on October 09, 2007

I've roasted squash seeds before, but I've never tried them this way. I think maybe I'll do them side by side, and see which has the most flavor.

Susan G on October 09, 2007

My husband likes to roast sunflower seeds in the shell, tossed with BBQ sauce. Then when he cracks them he gets the taste of the sauce. Maybe that technique would work for the people who don't want to eat the outer shells. This technique with the syrup is brilliant! I have had commercial pumpkin seed butter -- it's green...and those commercial shell-less pumpkin seeds (used to, at least) come from a variety called Lady Godiva.

Wendy on October 10, 2007

I'm quite excited by this! My squash seeds always go straight into the composter. No more!

janelle on October 10, 2007

Thanks Alanna: my seeds always turn out a bit too chewy. I will give these a try!

Alanna on October 11, 2007

Pille ~ One vote for no husks!

Cynthia ~ Make that two! I love your idea of the seed butter but honestly, cannot IMAGINE ever hulling pumpkin seeds. I have seen them hulled, however, in my nearby international grocery.

Cedar ~ One for shells.

Tricia ~ Interesting, I'll have to look for the pumpkin seeds you're talking about. But I wouldn't call these seeds 'moist', they definitely have crunch.

Jennifer ~ Ah yes, me too. That said, this is a novelty, just something to play with.

Mama Luxe ~ Thanks, hope you enjoy the vegetable recipes!

Nabeela ~ (Your mom and) I love to inspire!

Deborah ~ Side by side, perfect, let me know how it goes!

Susan ~ BBQ sauce, love that idea! And what your husband is doing, cracking the shell but getting a taste, is what happens with my recipe too.

Wendy ~ Making squash seeds does have a thrifty feel, for sure!

Janelle ~ Too chewy? Hmm, well, these are chewy too, they just taste good while you're chewing.

Andrea on October 11, 2007

Like you, we enjoy the whole seed, husk and all. We roast them with various combinations of spices, but I like the sound of your sweet-spicy combination and will give it a try this year. Thanks!

Sarah on October 23, 2007

I cheated on this recipe since I didn't have the right sugar on hand. I just made a soaking element consisting of sugar and salt and let it sit while I made my butternut squash soup. After a while I put them in the oven to roast with sea salt. They turned out amazing!

-Oh and I also used the seeds from my butternut squash I was cooking. I'm now addicted to butternut squash!

Alanna on October 23, 2007

Sarah ~ That's just great, that's way simpler than doing an ahem, 'simple syrup'. And especially great news re the butternut squash, THAT's no novelty!