I love fall!  I love, love love baking, cooking, lighting pumpkin spice candles and decorating everything in orange; just doing all those really domestic things you get to do in the fall.  One thing I really enjoy is carving pumpkins with my kids, and then cooking the pumpkin seeds like we used to do with my mom.  I usually get the seeds a little too crunchy, or not crunchy enough so this year I was on a hunt for the recipe with the perfect pumpkin seed “crunch”.  I found it!  The trick is boiling them first.  See below!

1) Clean the seeds.  It’s annoying, but necessary.  Scrub all the guts off, in a strainer – and give them another good last rinse.

2) Bring to boil in salt water. This is the trick! Get the water boiling, and then turn to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.

3) Pat dry the seeds, they don’t have to be super dry but make sure they aren’t soaking wet. Spread on baking sheet.

4) Drizzle, and I mean, drizzle olive oil over the top of them on a baking sheet.  Maybe a 1/2 tsp or 1 tsp depending on how many seeds you have. Spread the olive oil with your hands by mixing the seeds around.

5) Load them up with fine sea salt.  And I mean, don’t be worrying about sodium.  They need the salt!

6) The recipe suggests cooking at 325 for 10 minutes. I cooked mine for almost 20, because I like them crispy and they weren’t crispy enough.  Try 10 minutes, check them, then 15 if they aren’t done, then 20.  After 20 they likely will start burning in the middle.

I know what you’re thinking.  Alot of work?  But they are super good for you (they containt iron, magnesium, fibre, zinc, potassium, healthy fats, protein and tryptophan- which boosts your mood & helps you sleep) and when baked to the right crunchiness, delicious!  Happy Eating Friends!  ~Trina