Carving pumpkins for Halloween is always fun; I really don’t think it matters how old or young you are. When we were young, part of the yearly carving ritual was sorting through the pumpkin guts for all of the seeds. The process was messy and a little gross, but the promise of crunchy, salty pumpkin seeds made it all worthwhile. My mom’s recipe was simple, which I think, is why I still use it every year.

As you carve your pumpkins this weekend, rescue the seeds before you put the guts in the compost. Delicious!

 

Toasted Pumpkin Seed recipe

2 cups unwashed pumpkin seeds
1 ½ tablespoons melted butter
1 ¼ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Heat oven to 250 degrees. Mix all ingredients in a medium sized bowl until the seeds are evenly coated. Spread them on a cookie sheet and toast for about an hour, stirring occasionally, until the pumpkins are lightly browned, crisp, and dry. Cool on paper towels and store in an airtight container (a wide-mouth pint jar is perfect for storage).

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