Roasted Squash (and other gourd) Seed Recipe (s) "What's Your Favourite?"

This year, I've had success growing a wheelbarrow full of a light grey-skinned squash variety named Crown Prince.
Last Sunday, in anticipation of a frost which didn't arrive, I picked the lot of them and roasted one in the oven after first removing its seeds.
I quickly rinsed and patted dry the seeds and left them to dry for a couple of days in a wire mesh strainer.  This morning, after re-stoking the dehydrator with 1/4" tomato slices, I decided to roast the seeds.  It was slam-dunk easy.

First, I pre-heated the oven to 275 degrees and prepped a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Next, I measured the seeds.  I had about 1 3/4 cups.  
I then added about 1/2 a tablespoon of Sesame Seed oil instead of the 1 Tbsp. of Olive Oil mentioned in the recipe.
I also cut out the salt the recipe asked for and instead added about 1 Tbsp. of Club House "Tex-Mex" spice blend.

I roasted the seeds for the 20 minutes called for in the recipe, but ended up roasting them in the oven about twice that amount of time because the seeds were so fresh and damp. I figured, correctly, as it turned out, that the seeds would appreciate having the extra roasting time in the oven.

They turned out well, but I'm sure others have better recipes than the one I improvised this morning.  

What have been your most successful seed-roasting recipes?  I'd sure like to know.

Paul Steer wrote:This year, I've had success growing a wheelbarrow full of a light grey-skinned squash variety named Crown Prince.
Last Sunday, in anticipation of a frost which didn't arrive, I picked the lot of them and roasted one in the oven after first removing its seeds.
I quickly rinsed and patted dry the seeds and left them to dry for a couple of days in a wire mesh strainer.  This morning, after re-stoking the dehydrator with 1/4" tomato slices, I decided to roast the seeds.  It was slam-dunk easy.

First, I pre-heated the oven to 275 degrees and prepped a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Next, I measured the seeds.  I had about 1 3/4 cups.  
I then added about 1/2 a tablespoon of Sesame Seed oil instead of the 1 Tbsp. of Olive Oil mentioned in the recipe.
I also cut out the salt the recipe asked for and instead added about 1 Tbsp. of Club House "Tex-Mex" spice blend.

I roasted the seeds for the 20 minutes called for in the recipe, but ended up roasting them in the oven about twice that amount of time because the seeds were so fresh and damp. I figured, correctly, as it turned out, that the seeds would appreciate having the extra roasting time in the oven.

They turned out well, but I'm sure others have better recipes than the one I improvised this morning.  

What have been your most successful seed-roasting recipes?  I'd sure like to know.

I sometimes boil mine in saltwater to get the seasoning to penetrate, but I haven't done a side by side comparison to see if it's actually worth the effort (though it does also help remove some of the bits of flesh that like to cling to seeds.) Other than that, just butter or oil and salt, usually. Occasionally garlic or chili if the  mood strikes.

Try to separate the seeds from the pulp, but don’t worry too much about it. Put all your seeds in a small bowl and cover seeds with water. Add at least a tablespoon of salt and mix in. Let seeds soak 6-8 hours or overnight.

After soaking in brine, drain seeds and spread  them on a lightly oiled baking sheet in a single layer.

Now add your seasoning! My standby is salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder. Any seasoning will work though, so experiment. They don’t take on a too much salty flavor from the brine. So I add salt, but feel free to leave it out and when they are done taste and add salt while still hot from the oven.

Bake them at 350 for 8-15 minutes. Depending on the type of squash seeds you have. Just keep an eye on them. They will smell roasted and be dry and maybe a little browned. They will start popping and jump off the tray when they are really done.(don’t worry, it’s just a few) I try to get them out before they start that.

Try to taste one, be careful they’re hot!! See if the seed is crunchy, easy to bite and chew, and flavored well. If you’re seeds seem hard to bite, bake longer. You can add any additional seasonings while seeds are still warm.

Store any leftover cooled off seeds in an airtight container.

Years ago, I read about eating pumpkin seeds so when we had a Halloween pumpkin, I carefully saved and clean the seeds and cooked them as a recipe said,  I had never eaten them before so I didn't know what they taste like.

The ones I roasted were horrible.  I just could not figure out why people would eat something like that.

This year I read on another thread that the outer layer is peeled off to reveal the "seed".  If that is the case why do recipes not say to peel the seeds?

i always ate them seedcoat and all. a lot of chewing, sometimes! extra fiber. was it just the texture you didn’t like?

also, thickness of the seedcoat varies some by species. a pepo pumpkin has much thinner seedcoat than a maxima one. not to mention those that have been bred to lack it.

these days i bank the ones i’m not going to replant for a few years to press them for oil instead of eating them.

I find that single-serving squash like acorns cook fastest whole, either in oven or microwave.  

To eat the seeds, scoop out the now steamed seeds from the cooked squash. If just squish the seeds through your fingers, it gets enough of the pulp off.  Then bake at 300, stirring once, until seeds are dry but only barely browned, if at all.  If you baked the squash in the oven you can just turn it off and let the seeds dry in the residual heat while you prepare the rest of your meal.

If I add seasoning, my favorite is berbere, which is an Ethiopian chili powder.

Pepo and moschata seeds are usually good eating shell and all. Maxima shells are too thick and tough

greg mosser wrote:i always ate them seedcoat and all. a lot of chewing, sometimes! extra fiber. was it just the texture you didn’t like?

also, thickness of the seedcoat varies some by species. a pepo pumpkin has much thinner seedcoat than a maxima one..

That was a long time ago, like when I had little kids, and it was just one of those round orange pumpkins like to carve a jack'o lantern.

Seems I remember they were like eating cardboard.

In my pumpkin-breeding experiments, I've found a wide range of flavors in the seeds. Some were downright horrible. Maybe you were using a variety with bad-tasting seeds?

Anne Miller wrote:Years ago, I read about eating pumpkin seeds so when we had a Halloween pumpkin, I carefully saved and clean the seeds and cooked them as a recipe said,  I had never eaten them before so I didn't know what they taste like.

The ones I roasted were horrible.  I just could not figure out why people would eat something like that.

This year I read on another thread that the outer layer is peeled off to reveal the "seed".  If that is the case why do recipes not say to peel the seeds?

I don't remove the hulls either. They're best when they're fresh from the oven and still warm and crisp. They go from crunchy to chewy pretty quick as they cool and humidity goes to work on them. I generally try not to roast more than I can eat in a sitting, but I still tolerate them if they move beyond their peak.

Paul Steer wrote:This year, I've had success growing a wheelbarrow full of a light grey-skinned squash variety named Crown Prince.
Last Sunday, in anticipation of a frost which didn't arrive, I picked the lot of them

I want picture(s) of all those beautiful harvested Squash!

We season roasted pumpkin seeds with our favorite (stovetop) popcorn seasoning: nutritional yeast (good source of B vitamins), garlic powder, salt & powdered sriracha pepper flakes.

So I'm confused. Everything I've read says to leave your squash out until after that first frost. Holding off on picking my butternut. Picked it too early I think last year. Not much flavor. Is pumpkin different? Have already picked my huge Atlantic pumpkins, put on top of some hay bales out at the mailbox . Deer apparently enjoyed the gesture as they gnawed on them the first night. Resigned myself to them eventually gnawing them all. Put up a small friendly, white wispy hanging "ghost" decoration with lots of flappy bits of fabric. Deer haven't been back since. So, going to incorporate more flappy things so this large, nice fall decoration (minus Caspar) can last until it morphs into a country Christmas look. Still wondering about when to pick squash, though.

I pick my pumpkins right before the first frost and place them in the unheated garage or some other protected area.  They'll finish ripening even if they're a little green. They seem to have thin skin and damage easily and that lets rot set in more quickly. Whereas, winter squash has a thicker skin and a frost won't usually harm it and I like to let mine suck up all the energy through the leaves that it can.  After 1st frost all the leaves are dead, they're very sensitive to frost.  There's no use leaving it out longer, a hard freeze, 28 F, will injury the squash itself and same result as pumpkins.

Gotcha.  In a small valley at 2,500 feet surrounded by 5,000 ft mountains. While we did get to minus 17 last winter, our first frost is literally 32 degrees. Thought I would wait for one night's freeze then pick.

Me too!  I consider anthing predicted to be in the 30's as potential frost.  I am surrounded by hills and live and garden in a frost pocket.  Zone 4.