Spicy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

I saved all the seeds from one of the pumpkins from my garden.  I'll wind up saving them from all the pumpkins, this is just the first one I cut open.  These are SO delicious that, now, I feel these pumpkins don't give near enough seeds!

I used a product called Spicy Farm Dust that my husband picked up for me at a tiny little store near where he works.  I use it on everything savory, but if you don't have access to it, I'll give you a combination that would taste very similar.

The seeds are really easy to get out of the membrane and it's actually a nice, mindless process.  Just scoop up a bit of the pumpkin guts and pick the seeds out.  I usually just squeezed the tip of the seed and it just popped right off into my hand.

I put the seeds into a colander and the pulp into a bowl that I later took to the compost bin.

Once I had all the seeds free, I rinsed them under water to get the stickiness off of them and any loose membrane.  It's okay if a little bit is sticking to some of the seeds.

Place the seeds in a jar and fill with water to cover the seeds by an inch and add 1 Tablespoon of salt.  Stir it around to help dissolve the salt and place a lid on it.  Leave it on the counter overnight or up to 24 hours.  I'd pick the jar up and give it a little swirl but it would be fine to just leave it sitting.

Once they've sat long enough, drain them into a colander but DO NOT rinse.  They need to be spread out to dry a little and you could do this on some parchment paper but I decided to speed the process and used my dehydrator for a couple of hours on 105°F.

  Once they were dry on the surface I put them in a mixing bowl and added 1/2 teaspoon olive oil and a few shakes of Spicy Farm Dust*, probably about 1/4 teaspoon.  Stirred them well until all the seeds were coated and the seasoning was evenly distributed.

  I covered two baking sheets with parchment paper and spread the seeds onto them, trying to keep them from overlapping.  I then put them in a preheated 350°F oven for about 35 minutes or until toasted.

They are ready to eat as soon as they come out, or can be cooled and stored in an airtight container.

These are so, so, so GOOD!  I was honestly surprised by how much we really like them.

*If you don't have Spicy Farm Dust, and I seriously doubt that you do, you can season with a little season salt and cayenne pepper.