How to Toast Pumpkin Seeds

Children love carving pumpkins, but they will love the fact that there is more to do than just toss out the guts! Let your children prepare and toast the pumpkin seeds for a yummy snack during pumpkin carving!

What you will need:

Ripe Pumpkin

Sharp Knife

Large Spoon

Paper Towels

Vegetable Oil

A Cookie Sheet

Salt (optional)

What you will need to do:

1. Cut open the pumpkin and scoop out all the 'guts' and seeds.

2. Wash the seeds under running water. The kids will love washing the gross, slippery seeds!

3. Lay the seeds out on the paper towels, separating them as you do.

4. Shake some salt on the seeds if you like them that way! (You can also use cinnamon or sugar for a sweeter treat!)

5. Spray or spread oil on the cookie sheet.

6. Scatter the seeds on the cookie sheet. Be sure that there are no pumpkin guts tagging along, they burn easily and do not smell all that great burned!

7. Bake for at least one hour at two-hundred and fifty degrees, fahrenheit. (It takes about an hour because the seeds will need to dry out.)

8. Shake the seeds a few times during the cooking.

If, at the end of the hour, you wish your seeds to be a bit browner, you can turn up the heat on your oven to toast them a bit hotter. Be careful when doing this though, because the seeds can burn very quickly at a higher degree.

Allow your seeds to cool for at least 10 minutes before attempting to snack on them. Store your seeds in an airtight container so that they stay nice and crisp! Enjoy!