Pumpkin seeds: Something different to try
by Elizabeth "Bjay" Woolley on Oct. 30, 2009, under food/recipes, Life, mex food, mexican culture, NA food, Native american culture
Try this alternative pumpkin seed recipe for shell-on pepitas.
Pumpkin or other similar squash seed can be used in this recipe. Seeds are highly underrated and under-consumed. Did you know watermelon seeds are edible? Search for recipes.
I often do a variation of this recipe with shelled seeds, but you don’t get the benefit of the fiber in the shells and it’s easier to eat a ton of the shelled seeds which have a good amount of calories and fat.
If you have made pepitas before, this is very similar. The difference is the shell and preparation.
Native Americans in this area used to eat a lot of squash seeds. They toasted and roasted them. Sometimes they ground them to make a mush. They found eating the shells helped to get rid of internal parasites and worms due to the internal cleansing ability of the shells. It’s nice to know pumpkins can do more than scare trick-or-treaters away!
This recipe is also good for taking to parties or having with beer. Whenever I make pumpkins seeds this way, they do not stay around for long.
I am not a professional cook or dietitian, so this recipe is passed along in more of a “back fence” type of way with general measurements.
Ingredients:
- Pumpkin seeds (remove as much of the stringy squash as you can – I like to leave small bits of it)
- Chiltepines or red pepper flakes
- Garlic
- Salt
- Sugar
- Lime
Spread seeds on a cookie sheet that is either lined with parchment/wax paper or cooking spray. Put it into a 250-300-degree oven and check every 10 minutes and stir a little to help them cook more evenly. It could take anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour depending on your oven and size of seeds. Let them get a little toasted and crispy. They should be edible to your personal taste.
Next get a pan and heat it over medium to high heat. I most often use a cast-iron pan or griddle but most pans should work. I put a little butter – just enough to keep the seeds from sticking. Not a lot.
Throw in the seeds and add salt, the chiltepines (or pepper flakes) and minced or pressed garlic. These are all to taste. In general for a cup of seeds, I use about 1/2 tsp salt, 1-2 crushed chiltepines, and 1-2 garlic cloves. I love garlic and don’t mind smelling like garlic. You might want to start with less because the garlic taste can get strong. Keep stirring and don’t let the seeds burn.
When they are hot, sprinkle the seeds with a pinch of sugar and then take them off the heat. Squirt a little lime juice over the seeds and stir. Start with a small amount and add more to taste without “washing” the other ingredients off. Enjoy!
Next time you cook up those pumpkins seeds, save some to try out this recipe and let me know how it went.
October 30th, 2009 on 3:13 pm
Sounds pretty good!
I’ll give it a try.
October 30th, 2009 on 4:31 pm
Let me what you think if you try it!
October 30th, 2009 on 5:47 pm
I will!
Hope you are well, Bjay. I hadn’t seen you around much lately and was wondering……glad you’re back!
October 30th, 2009 on 6:18 pm
We were at a wedding out of town and then I had to set up a community site (http://diabeticmommy.ning.com/) for my website (http://www.diabeticmommy.com). Now I have to redo tha main site, so I might be slow here.
October 30th, 2009 on 11:36 pm
Well, now you know people notice when you’re gone.
October 30th, 2009 on 6:45 pm
Recipe too interesting to ignore. Took some time, (seeds in oven took 45 minutes) but the flavor and texture is grand. It is the combination of the garlic, salt and with hit of lime leaves an perfect moisture and crispness. One could add several different ingredients to serve as side dish. Thanks for sharing your recipe Bjay.
October 30th, 2009 on 6:50 pm
Glad you liked it!
October 30th, 2009 on 8:49 pm
I forgot to mention the seeds can be cooked in a skillet – probably faster, but they seem to come out more chewy.
October 30th, 2009 on 11:35 pm
Never tried the skillet method, but it sounds good.
October 31st, 2009 on 12:58 am
Your so sweet Az.
When I”m lazy I just dry off the seeds and fry them in a skillet with some butter. It’s fast but some of them come out pretty chewy. I like them crisp.
October 31st, 2009 on 8:37 pm
So good! Loved the added lime.
October 31st, 2009 on 11:28 pm
Awesome you tried it. Glad you liked it!
October 30th, 2009 on 11:00 pm
I just saw your tweet about it and came to check out this post. The pumpkin seeds recipe sounds delicious, Bjay! Thank you for sharing, I’ll definitely give it a try. BTW, you mentioned that Native Americans used pumkin seeds to get rid of internal parasites and worms… Well, I am originally from Russia, and I knew about this as one of the “grandmother’s home remedies” for getting rid of worms. It was without the shells though – there is “something” in the seeds themselves that worms “don’t like”.
October 31st, 2009 on 12:57 am
Ah Nat, I always thought it was the sharp pieces of shell that got them out. I love hearing about the old home remedies. My grandma used to do some really strange things, but most of the time it worked. She was from Mexico and had some interesting remedies and beliefs. I remember she would often fry flour and put it in old sock and pat us with it if we had a rash or chicken pox to help with the itching. I’m not sure how effective it was against the chicken pox as I have some big pox scars on my face lol.
October 31st, 2009 on 10:25 am
Pumpkin seeds can be worked into many yeast bread recipes. I’ve never tried it, but plan to do it soon. I think googling “Pumpkin seed bread rcipes” will bring up several interesting ones.
October 31st, 2009 on 12:28 pm
Wow, didn’t know that! I’ll have to check that out.
October 31st, 2009 on 11:03 am
Just sharing a flavorful roasted pumpkin seed recipe: http://miocibo.com/2009/10/26/roasted-pumpkin-seeds/
October 31st, 2009 on 12:29 pm
That picture looks REALLY good. I’ll have to try that.
October 31st, 2009 on 2:13 pm
It look like a fun recipe. I’m going to try it.
October 31st, 2009 on 5:55 pm
Let me know how you like it.