Before you can roast and eat its yummy seeds—and before you can turn it into a spooky jack-o’-lantern!—you need to get the inside of your pumpkin out. This is a very fun and kind of weird job. Wear short sleeves and clothes that can get messy!
Kitchen Gear:
- Sharp, heavy knife (adult needed)
- Large bowl
- Large metal spoon
- Colander
- Dish towel
Instructions:
- Cover your work surface with newspaper to protect it and keep your pumpkin from slipping. Fill the large bowl with water. Ask your adult to use the sharp, heavy knife to cut around the top of the pumpkin, making a lid with the stem in the middle. Pull the lid off.
- Using the large metal spoon and your hands, scrape and pull all of the seeds and stringy stuff (this is pulp and fiber) out of the pumpkin. Put all the pumpkin seeds and guts into the bowl of water.
- Using your fingers, separate the seeds from the pulp and fiber, and put the seeds in the colander (the stringy stuff is actually full of nutrients, so it’s okay if a little stays on). When you’ve got the all the seeds pulled off, rinse them under cold water, and spread them out evenly on the dish towel to dry a little before you roast them.
Did You Know?
You can roast and eat the seeds of other winter squash, such as butternut and acorn! Just cut the squash in half and separate, clean, and dry the seeds the same way you would for a pumpkin—then roast them.
For more great recipes,
click here.