ROASTING PUMPKIN SEEDS:
Collect and wash the pumpkin
seeds. Roast them in the oven until they were golden brown, filling the kitchen
with their rich, nutty aroma. When slow-roasted this way, with a little salt
and butter, pumpkin seeds make delicious snacks rich in nutritious minerals
such as zinc.
Pumpkin seeds from 1 or more pumpkins
* 1 tablespoon
butter
* salt
Wash the pumpkin seeds to remove all the pulp, and place
in a bowl.
Melt the butter in a pan and then pour, bit by bit, into the
nuts, tossing while you go.
The key is not to use too much butter, but just
enough to lightly coat the seeds. Smaller pumpkins may require less than 1
tablespoon of butter, larger ones more. Add salt.
Preheat the oven to 250F;
spread the seeds out over a baking pan and bake, turning occasionally, until
crisp and lightly golden browned. Overcooking causes the nuts to toughen and
lose flavor.
American Indian Variation.
Wash the pumpkin seeds
thoroughly, and place them in a bowl. Cover with cold water to which just
enough salt has been added that it is still drinkable, and let soak overnight.
Drain the seeds, place them on a cookie sheet, and cook in a low oven--250
F--until they are crisp and golden brown.
