Serves 4

Ingredients


  • 1 medium sugar pumpkin
  • 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Ground cinnamon (optional)
  • Ground nutmeg (optional)

    Directions


    Preheat the oven to 350° F.

    Cut the pumpkin in half lengthwise. Using a melon baller or a spoon, scoop out the seeds and stringy insides of the pumpkin and place them in a large bowl.

    Fill the bowl with water. The seeds will float to the top. Using your fingers, release any seeds that remain caught in the flesh of the pumpkin. Remove any large chunks of flesh and place them in the compost. Skim across the top of the water with your hands to capture and remove the seeds and place them in a sieve. Wash and drain the seeds, removing any remaining flesh.

    In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add the seeds and boil gently for 10 minutes, then drain the seeds in a sieve. This extra step makes for extra-plump and crispy seeds.

    Transfer the seeds to a rimmed baking sheet and toss them with oil. Spread the seeds into a single, even layer on the pan.

    Bake, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the seeds turn golden brown and begin to pop.

    Set the baking sheet on a wire rack and let the seeds cool completely.

    In a medium bowl, toss the seeds with the salt for a savory treat. For a spiced treat, add a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg.

    Reprinted from The 52 New Foods Challenge by arrangement with Avery Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © 2014, Jennifer Tyler Lee.
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