How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds are incredibly delicious and a healthy treat, but sometimes they can be pretty expensive at the store.  Did you know that when you carve your pumpkin for Halloween, instead of throwing out the seeds, you can roast them?  I used to just toss out the seeds and pulp every year when my family carved our pumpkin.  Now it has become a fun family tradition to save the seeds and roast them.

I prefer to brine my pumpkin seeds overnight, they get infused with salt and I feel like they taste substantially better than just adding salt when I roast them.

I was able to get about 2 cups of seeds out of a medium-sized pumpkin.  Three cups of water were enough to cover the seeds when I let them soak overnight, and I used two tablespoons of salt to create the brine.  Two tablespoons sound like a lot of salt, but your seeds will not absorb all of it.

Instructions on how to brine and roast pumpkin seeds

1. Scoop out the seeds from your pumpkin and separate them from the pumpkin pulp.
2. Rinse the pumpkin seeds in a colander, they will be slimy.
3. Soak your seeds overnight in brine to infuse a salty flavor into the pumpkin seeds. Add your water and salt to a bowl.  For every 3 cups of water, I use 2 tablespoons of salt.  You want the brine to taste like seawater.  This won't make the seeds too salty, most of the salt will get washed down the drain when they get rinsed.
4. Add your pumpkin seeds to the brine and stir to help incorporate the salt.
5. Leave the bowl with your seeds and brine on the counter overnight.
6. Drain the seeds and rinse them off. Then spread them out to dry on a clean kitchen towel, I let mine dry for at least 5 hours.  They need to be dry so they don't steam in the oven, but roast.  They will stick to the towel, but you can just push them off with your fingers.
7. Now they are ready to roast. For the seasoning to stick lightly spritz the seeds with cooking spray or use aquafaba (for oil-free cooking).  Use just enough to lightly coat the seeds.  Then add your desired seasoning.
8. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and roast at 325˚F (160˚C) for about 20-25 minutes, stirring halfway through.
9. Let the seeds cool completely before storing them.
10. Then enjoy!