DIY Delicious Pumpkin Seeds
Dave Koch | Friday, March 19, 2010 at 6:01AM 
My mother in-law roasts fresh pumpkin seeds on a regular basis. Almost weekly. They are a wonderful snack; delicious, healthful, and have an amazing crunch. I asked her recently how she makes them because I wasn't seeing piles of pumpkin carcasses laying around everywhere.
She simply uses the ones from Trader Joes, tosses them in a little olive oil, and roasts them at 350 degrees until they begin to pop, about 15 minutes. She uses Trader Joe's brand because they are not too salty.
If you can only get your hands on David's pumpkin seeds (and you can, they're ubiquitous, they're even at 7-11). You'll need to soak them in water for about 10 minutes to remove most of the salt. I've had them before and they are unpalatable. They then will need to be dried with paper towels and roasted longer as well.
Once they come out of the oven, add salt as needed. Let them cool, and store them in an air tight container. They'll keep for weeks.
I thought it was interesting to read David's nutritional facts. Besides showing they are high in zinc, iron, and magnesium, I was baffled they that they only stated 10mg of sodium. "But they're indelibly salty," I protested in my head. Who do they think they are?
I also noticed they only showed 1g of fiber per 30 gram serving. What gives? Pumpking seeds are mostly fiber!
Eureka! At the bottom of the facts, it states, "Nutrition facts are for the Pumpkin Seed Kernal. Eating the shell as well would bring the sodium total to 940mg (39% Daily Value)" - Unfortunately, they fail to mention that it would also bring the fiber total to a whopping 10 grams!
Americans don't eat enough fiber. Eat more pumpkin seeds.
Reader Comments (2)
There is no truth in advertizing anymore!
I'm sure Australians don't eat enough fibre either. I'll start spreading the pumpkin seed love down here :)