{"id":13850,"date":"2024-10-30T16:00:06","date_gmt":"2024-10-30T20:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/?p=13850"},"modified":"2024-10-30T09:12:18","modified_gmt":"2024-10-30T13:12:18","slug":"creative-ways-to-use-pumpkin-seeds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/creative-ways-to-use-pumpkin-seeds\/","title":{"rendered":"Creative Ways to Use Pumpkin Seeds"},"content":{"rendered":"

Written by: Kiya Tavascia
\nEdited by: Rayna Almas
\nDesigned by: Alessa Zaitseva
\nPublished by: Rayna Almas<\/span><\/p>\n

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H<\/span>alloween is nearly here, and if you\u2019re a \u201ctypical\u201d person living in a \u201ctypical\u201d household in Canada, there\u2019s a good chance you have pumpkins sitting outside your home right now. Perhaps they\u2019re carved, perhaps not. Either way, if you have ever carved a pumpkin before, or just cut one open, you\u2019ll know what pumpkin seeds look like fresh from the fruit. Even if you haven\u2019t ever done this before (since not everyone participates in pumpkin-carving or eating traditions around Halloween), you\u2019ve probably eaten or at least seen pumpkin seeds at a grocery store or market. <\/span> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Image Source<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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For most people, roasting pumpkin seeds will be the most common way to consume these protein-rich seeds. A drizzle of oil, some cinnamon or salt, and a hot oven, and you\u2019re good to go. But I\u2019m here to let you know about some other amazing ways to use pumpkin seeds – to eat, to admire, and to re-grow.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Image Source<\/a><\/p>\n

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To Eat\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

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Roasted Garlic and Pumpkin Hummus<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

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Ingredients\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

For the Roasted Garlic
\n<\/span>\u2192 1\/2 cup olive oil
\n<\/span>\u2192 3 cloves garlic, smashed<\/span><\/p>\n

For the Hummus
\n<\/span>\u2192 1 15.5-ounce can chickpeas, drained
\n<\/span>\u2192 1 c. canned pure pumpkin puree
\n<\/span>\u2192 2 Tbsp. lemon juice, plus more if needed
\n<\/span>\u2192 2 Tbsp. tahini
\n<\/span>\u2192 1\/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
\n<\/span>\u2192 Salt, to taste
\n<\/span>\u2192 1\/4 c. raw pumpkin seeds \u2b50<\/span><\/p>\n

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Instructions:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. Roast the garlic and olive oil at 375 \u030a for 15-20 minutes\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Add the roasted garlic plus 2 tablespoons of the oil to a food processor. Add chickpeas, pumpkin puree, lemon juice, tahini, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Blend, then add a bit more of the roasted garlic oil. Taste and add a bit more salt and lemon juice if needed. Spoon into a bowl, cover and refrigerate for several hours.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Pan fry pumpkin seeds with a touch of oil and salt in a pan, and sprinkle generously on top of the hummus<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Enjoy with crackers, veggies, or by itself!\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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    Pumpkin Seed Butter<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

    Image Source<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/i><\/b><\/span>Ingredients\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

    \u2192 2 cups raw pumpkin seeds \u2b50
    \n<\/span>\u2192 1\/2 teaspoon salt
    \n<\/span>\u2192 1 tablespoon coconut oil melted
    \n<\/span>\u2192 1 tablespoon honey<\/span><\/p>\n

    Instructions\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Bake pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet at 350\u00b0 for 6-8 minutes\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
    2. Place into a food processor along with the salt and process until the seeds become smooth and creamy, scraping the sides regularly. This will take about 5-10 minutes.<\/span><\/li>\n
    3. Add oil and honey and continue processing until it reaches a consistency that you\u2019re happy with\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
    4. Enjoy as an alternative to nut butter!<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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      To Admire\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

      There are many interesting options for using pumpkin seeds and arts & crafts activities, depending on what materials you have available to you, and what you\u2019re interested in creating. Remember, the best choice is what you\u2019ll want to keep and admire, or gift to someone else!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Here are a few cool ideas to get your creative juices flowing:<\/span><\/p>\n

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      DIY Pumpkin Seed Ornaments<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

      Pumpkin Bird Feeder<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

      Pumpkin Seed Fall Canvas<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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      To Re-Grow\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

      Aka seed saving! Did you know saving seeds from your pumpkins is a simple process that will allow you to have seeds for growing your own pumpkins next year? If you want to go this route, double check the growing conditions and variety of pumpkin you have (the farm you got it from should know!). If you have an unusual or heirloom variety, even better.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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      Here are the basic steps:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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      1. Scoop the seeds out of your pumpkin\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
      2. Rinse the seeds under water to remove as much of the pulp as possible\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
      3. Use a cloth or paper towels to remove any leftover pulp clinging to the seeds\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
      4. Pick out the biggest, best looking seeds to keep. Use the rest for eating or admiring \ud83d\ude09\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
      5. Let the seeds air dry completely. This will take a few weeks. If you can air dry them on a screen, that\u2019s a great method because it allows the air to reach the seeds from top and bottom. You don\u2019t want the seeds getting moldy.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
      6. Once completely dry (again, it\u2019ll take weeks), store them in an airtight bag or jar, in a cool, dry spot.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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        Learn more about saving pumpkin seeds (with pictures!) from The Farmer\u2019s Almanac<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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        \n        Image Source<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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        Will you be trying any of these creative ways to use pumpkin seeds this year? I hope so! Happy Halloween!<\/span><\/p>\n

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        Sources\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

        https:\/\/www.thepioneerwoman.com\/food-cooking\/recipes\/a34418144\/sunny-anderson-easy-roasted-garlic-pumpkin-hummus\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

        https:\/\/www.foodfaithfitness.com\/pumpkin-seed-butter\/#Recipe<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        https:\/\/www.almanac.com\/how-save-your-pumpkin-seeds-planting<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Halloween is nearly here, and if you\u2019re a \u201ctypical\u201d person living in a \u201ctypical\u201d household in Canada, there\u2019s a good chance you have pumpkins sitting outside your home right now.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13864,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_mi_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13850"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13850"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13850\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13867,"href":"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13850\/revisions\/13867"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13864"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13850"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13850"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13850"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}