Carving pumpkins is a fall tradition, and roasting & eating the seeds is a great way to get the most out of your Jack-O’-Lanterns. When tossed with some herbs and spices, these seeds transform into a crunchable, snackable treat for your scary movie marathons, not to mention that they help reduce food waste!

ROASTED PUMPKIN’S ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS

By purchasing whole pumpkins, cooking the flesh and roasting the seeds on a Reusable Baking Mat, and composting the insides and skins, this recipe can be made completely ZERO WASTE
Buying locally grown and in-season produce significantly cuts down on the carbon emissions created during transportation
Cooking and eating seasonal pumpkin decorations is a great way to reduce food waste, as 1/3rd of the world’s food is wasted annually

Herb Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour

Ingredients:

1 cup Pumpkin Seeds (or other Squash Seeds) (see notes)

3/4 tsp Garlic Powder

3/4 tsp Salt

1 tsp finely chopped Fresh Thyme (see notes)

2 tsp finely chopped Fresh Rosemary (see notes)

2 tsp Olive Oil

Instructions:

1. PREP: Preheat your oven to 300°F (~150°C). To clean the seeds, start by picking out most of the large chunks and strings of pumpkin flesh by hand (tossing these into the compost). Once most are gone, place your pumpkin seeds into a bowl and fill with enough water for the seeds to start floating. The seeds should float to the top, and any stuck on bits of pumpkin should slide off easily. Scoop the seeds off the top and place onto a clean dish towel and pat dry.

2. MIX: In a small bowl, mix together the garlic powder, salt, and chopped herbs. In a large bowl, toss together the pumpkin seeds and the olive oil. Sprinkle on all of your herb mixture, and toss again to evenly coat all the seeds with the mix.

3. ROAST: Take a sheet pan and line it with a Reusable Silicone Baking Mat. Spread the pumpkin seeds into a single layer, and roast for 40 minutes or until lightly browned, flipping the seeds halfway through.

4. ENJOY: Let the seeds to cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes, then you can start snacking! To store, allow the seeds to cool completely before placing into an airtight container, where they’re last for 1 - 2 weeks (best eaten fresh).

Notes:

Using a Whole Pumpkin – If you’re retrieving your pumpkin seeds from an intact pumpkin, check out our recipe for roasting a whole pumpkin yourself. It’s super easy and the pumpkin can be added to soups, sauces, or blended up to make your own pumpkin puree!

Using Different Squashes – Pumpkins are not the only squash with edible seeds, you can try roasting seeds from other varieties as well! Save the seeds from Kabocha, Delicata, Butternut, or another squash variety and roast them up. As these other seed varieties may be smaller than pumpkins, lower the cook time and keep an eye on them.

Fresh vs Dried Herbs — While this recipe calls for fresh herbs, dried herbs can be used if you’re in a pinch. As the flavors of dried herbs are much more concentrated, use half the amount called for by the recipe. Be sure to still chop them up finely before using. Check out our recipe for drying your own herbs!

Make a Double Batch — If carving a large pumpkin (or a few), you’ll notice that there are way more than 1 cup of seeds inside. To use up all the seeds, you can double or even triple this recipe. Just be sure that the seeds are spread out flat when roasting so that they’ll cook evenly.

Use Fall Decorations – You wouldn’t normally throw away perfectly good produce, so why throw out your decoration pumpkins after Fall? It’s so easy to cook them up and eat or puree them, and they make for some delicious zero waste decorations!

Did you make this recipe?

We love to see your pictures!

Tag @simple_ecology and hashtag it #simpleecology

© Simple Ecology