It is officially 18 days until Halloween. You’re likely getting your jack ‘o lanterns ready and starting to prepare for the festivities. If you need some tips on carving them, make sure to check out the fun blog. We also have some great ideas on throwing a frugal Halloween party. Also, make sure to check back in the food blog often this week as we’ll be featuring at least one new Halloween recipe per day to help you get ready for the big day.
But first things first. The first decoration that goes up at many homes is the jack ‘o lantern. But what do you do with the left over pumpkin seeds? When I was young, we used to bake them but that was the pumpkin seed of years gone by. Check out these great ideas for baking your pumpkin seeds. (By the way, pumpkin seeds are quite the nutritious snack so eat happily!)
Plain Old Pumpkin Seeds
You will need to first remove the pumpkin pulp from the seeds. I think a colander works best. Then spread the pumpkin seeds out evenly, in a single layer, over paper towels and dry over night. Coat pumpkin seeds with olive oil, butter or cooking spray. Season with salt, garlic salt or salt seasoning. Preheat oven to 250. Bake for about an hour, turning every 15 to 20 minutes.
Asian Pumpkin Seeds
Coat 2 cups of pumpkin seeds in olive oil. Mix in 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon garlic salt, and 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce. (You do not need to dry these out before baking.) Place pumpkin seeds on cookie sheet and bake for about one hour, stirring every 15 to 20 minutes.
Sweet and Salty Pumpkin Seeds
Remove pulp from seeds. Dry out over night (like in the recipe for plain pumpkin seeds). Use cooking spray or butter to coat the seeds. Mix together about 1 tsp of salt, to 1 tsp of cinnamon to 2 teaspoons of sugar.