Roasted pumpkin seeds – a tasty and nutritious snack The seeds of the Halloween pumpkins or the pumpkins used to make pies can be eaten in different ways and are a tasty and nutritious snack. Thus one can cook pumpkin seeds in different ways instead of throwing them away. One of the popular recipes for pumpkin seeds is roasted pumpkin seeds. Roasted pumpkin seeds have a high content of mono unsaturated fats and proteins. They also contain magnesium, phosphorous and manganese. They also contain minerals like zinc, copper and iron. Medical studies have proved that the pumpkin seeds help in reducing cholesterol and have many other health benefits.

Making roasted pumpkin seeds is really easy but getting them out of the pumpkin and then cleaning the sticky coat over them is the tricky part. It is always better to clean the pumpkin seeds while they are still wet. Because once they dry up it becomes almost impossible to clean them. But once you have carved a pumpkin for Halloween or made a pumpkin pie, it is advisable to make good use of the seeds as well.

In order to make roasted pumpkin seeds you need one pumpkin, two tablespoons of cooking oil and a little bit of salt. Once you have taken the seeds out of the pumpkin, you should wash off the stringy slimy flesh clinging to them. Then spread the seeds on either a paper bag or blotting paper and leave them overnight to dry.

In order to roast the pumpkin seeds put them in a bag with a zip lock and shake properly so that all the seeds are coated with oil. Next step is to spread the pumpkin seeds evenly in a layer on either a baking dish or a cookie sheet which has small sides. Sprinkle some salt on the seeds.

Bake the pumpkin seeds coated with oil and salt for approximately 30 minutes at 200 degrees Fahrenheit. You can then store these seeds in a plastic container or bag which is airtight. These roasted pumpkin seeds are great as a snack and can even be added to salads and many other dishes innovatively.