What to do with fresh pumpkin seeds?
And throw them away? Please don't! If you are now cleaning pumpkin for soups or a delicious pumpkin pie, please don't throw the seeds in the bin. You probably always buy pumpkin seeds to use in salads, soups or muesli. If you are processing a pumpkin anyway, then you can also use the seeds by drying and roasting them yourself. And it really isn't that difficult.
Roasting pumpkin seeds: step-by-step instructions
1. remove the pulp from the pumpkin seeds
- Place the pumpkin seeds with the pulp attached in a bowl of salted water. It is best to use a spoon for this.
- It is best to leave the seeds in the water for a while (even overnight) to make it easier to remove the flesh later. Knead or rub the seeds until the fibers have loosened and the seeds float to the top.
- Strain the pumpkin seeds through a sieve or use a slotted spoon - place the seeds on a clean kitchen towel. Use it to rub off the last fibers.
2. dry the pumpkin seeds
Now the fresh pumpkin seeds need to dry - there are various ways to do this
- Remove the moisture with a dehydrator. To do this, simply operate your appliance according to the instructions.
- Place the seeds on a kitchen towel and place it on the heater.
- Dry the kernels in the oven - you can use the residual heat after baking or roasting or switch the oven to a low temperature until the kernels are dry. Insert a wooden spoon into the oven door to allow the moisture to escape.
3. roast the pumpkin seeds
- If you also want to roast the pumpkin seeds directly in the oven, you can combine steps 2 and 3: Place the fresh pumpkin seeds on a greased baking tray and bake or roast them at 140 to 160 degrees until they are golden brown and/or burst open. This takes around 20 minutes.
- Once dry, you can also roast the seeds in a non-stick pan at medium temperature while stirring. It is important to keep the pumpkin seeds moving so that they roast evenly and because they burn quickly.
- You can then add salt and caramelize the seeds.