How to Bake Pumpkin Seeds in the Oven

 Pumpkin seeds are the delicious nutty seeds that you'll find in any pumpkin. Pumpkin seeds are not only good tasting but nutritious as well. A serving of pumpkin seeds is loaded with maganesium, iron, copper, vitamin k and protein. Many cultures use pumpkin seeds as part of their culinary heritage. While pumpkin seeds may seem a bit intimidating at first, they're actually easy to prepare. A simple roasting in the oven will warm up a batch of pumpkin seeds and bring out their nature tangy flavor.

Start with fresh pumpkin seeds. Some specialty markets sell dried pumpkin seeds. Fresher are better. Purchase a medium sized pumpkin. All pumpkins have seeds. The larger the pumpkin the larger number of seeds you'll find. A smaller pumpkin may not enough seeds to roast. A larger pumpkin might have seeds that are too large and have hardened shells that can be difficult to cook.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cut open the pumpkin. Inside you should find dozens of fresh pumpkin seeds. You can scoop them out in smaller bunches. Scrape the sides of the pumpkin to get all the seeds you can. Place the pumpkin seeds in a colander. Rinse them with cold water to get rid of the pumpkin flesh. Line a cookie sheet or two with tin foil. Pull the pumpkin seeds out of the colander with a ladle and spread them on the cookie sheet.

Blot paper towels across the seeds on the cookie sheet to remove excess water and help them dry out. No water should remain on the sheet.

Brush the pumpkin seeds with a thin layer of cooking oil. Olive oil will give them a nice subtle flavor as they bake. You can also use canola oil, vegetable oil or butter. You can also additional flavors to the pumpkin seeds with a sprinkling of herbs such as cumin or oregano.

Place the pumpkin seeds in the oven. Let them stay there for at least seven minutes. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to gently turn them over after ten minutes. Check for doneness after twelve minutes. The pumpkin seeds will take on a more golden color and plumper texture as they roast.

Remove the pumpkin seeds from the oven after no more than fifteen minutes. Let them cool down for at least half an hour before serving.