Pumpkin Seed Recipe

PUMPKIN SEED RECIPE — A TASTY TREAT

Halloween is approaching and you and your family are excitedly preparing to greet it with the best Jack O’ Lantern your entire neighborhood has ever seen. You have already purchased the pumpkin, you have taken the pumpkin carving tools out of storage, you have printed the pumpkin carving stencil of your choice, you lined your work space with plenty of old newspapers, have a whole role of paper towels standing by in case of spills and a garbage pail ready to receive all discarded matter. You are ready to dig in and begin the project of carving out your masterpiece.

But wait! Please define discarded matter. If your answer is “all that comes out from inside the pumpkin” I would like you to reconsider. True, a lot of what comes out of the pumpkin is pretty gooey and unappealing and I cannot possibly imagine what anyone could possibly do with it. Imbedded within that mess, however, are wonderful seeds and I encourage you to dig them out because they are delicious as well as nutritious.

Pumpkins and their seeds are indigenous to the Americas and have been treasured by Native American Indians for their dietary and medicinal properties. These properties have been confirmed by modern researchers who also suggest that pumpkin seeds offer unique nutritional and health benefits. The leading commercial producers of pumpkins and their seeds are the United States, Mexico, India and China.

Some of the health benefits found by various researchers in pumpkin seeds are as follows:

1. Pumpkin seeds contain the Carotenoids, Omega 3 fats and Zinc that may help prevent or retard the enlargement of the prostate gland which is so problematic to many men over the age of fifty.

2. The Zinc found in pumpkin seeds has been shown to increase bone mineral density in elderly men and women, alike.

3. It has been proven that pumpkin seeds have anti-inflammatory benefits for arthritis patients without damaging the fats in the lining of joints which are side effects of anti-inflammatory drugs.

4. Pumpkin seeds have been ranked as very good sources of minerals such as magnesium, manganese and phosphorous as well as good sources of iron, copper, protein and as I have mentioned above, zinc.

5. Phytosterols are compounds that are found in pumpkin seeds and have the properties to reduce blood levels of cholesterol as well as boost the immune system and lower the risks of certain forms of cancer.

Now that you are aware of the health benefits of pumpkin seeds, let us examine how delicious they can be. First of all, separate them from the pumpkin’s refuse, wipe them dry with a paper towel and spread them out in an even layer on a paper bag to dry overnight. By roasting them for a short time in a low temperature oven you will preserve their healthy oils. So spread them out on a flat cookie sheet in a preheated over at 160 to 170 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately fifteen to twenty minutes.

You can add shelled pumpkin seeds to sautéed vegetables; you can sprinkle them on top of mixed green or fruit salads; you can grind them with fresh garlic, parsley and cilantro leaves and mix with olive oil and lemon juice for a wonderful salad dressing; you can chop and add them to your morning’s hot or cold cereal; you can add them to your oatmeal raisin cookies or granola recipe; you can grind and add them to your burgers.

You can always buy prepackaged and pre-seasoned and flavored pumpkin seeds in your neighborhood store for snaking on but think of all the fun that you will be missing.

Posted in Pumpkin Stencils