Roasted Pumpkin Seeds & Freezing Pumpkin Pulp

Roasting can be a fun, nutritious way to enjoy the pumpkin seeds from any carving or cooking pumpkin. Try out your favorite seasoning mixes if you're feeling adventurous, otherwise stick with just salt for a tasty snack option. If you're going to cook with the pumpkin flesh, make sure to get a variety intended for cooking (not carving), such as a Sugar Pumpkin.


Ingredients

• 1 cooking pumpkin (a carving pumpkin will do for seeds, not for flesh)*
• Salt, to taste
• Seasonings, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*F.
2. Scoop as many seeds out of the pumpkin as you can.  Discard the flesh attached and rinse. 
3. Leave moist and place on cookie sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle generously with your favorite salt and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the seeds turn a golden brown.

To freeze pulp for future use:

1. Preheat oven to 350*F.
2. Remove stem and cut pumpkin in half lengthwise.  Scoop out seeds and save for roasting. 
3. Place in a baking dish with flesh facing down, and fill with 1/2 inch of water. 
4. Bake for 50- 60 minutes, until tender.  Let cool and scoop out flesh.  
5. In a food processor, blend flesh until smooth.  Pack in freezer tight containers leaving room at the top for expansion. Let cool completely and put in freezer.  Will store for at least 6 months.

*Ingredients available at Belltown.

Spiced Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp butter*
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped*
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 4 cups (32oz) chicken broth
• 12 oz carrot juice
• 1 medium carrot, finely chopped*
• 2 small garlic cloves, minced*
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3 1/2 cups fresh cooked pumpkin pulp (about 1 large sugar pumpkin)*
• 1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*F.
2. Cut pumpkin in half lengthwise. Remove stem and seeds, but do not discard seeds. Place in a 9x13" baking dish, flesh side down. Add 1/2 inch of water to pan. Bake for 45-60 minutes, until pulp is cooked well.
3. Remove pumpkin from the oven and put aside until cool enough to handle. In the meantime, place the seeds on a cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and when cool enough to work with, you can remove inner seed or leave shelled.
4. In a 4 quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add carrot, onion and cumin and cook for 8-10 minutes until soft, stirring frequently.
5. Add broth, pumpkin and carrot juice to saucepan, stirring to combine.
6. Cover pan and heat to boiling over high heat, reduce to low, simmer covered 15 minutes to blend.
7. Sprinkle seeds over soup when serving.

*Ingredients available at Belltown