Drying and Roasting Pumpkin and Sunflower Seeds

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Drying and roasting pumpkin seeds are two different processes. To dry carefully wash pumpkin seeds to remove the clinging fibrous pumpkin tissue. Pumpkin seeds can be dried in the sun, in a dehydrator at 115 to 120 degrees F for 1 to 2 hours, or in an oven on warm for 3 to 4 hours. Stir them frequently to avoid scorching.

To roast, take dried pumpkin seeds and toss with oil and or salt and roast in a preheated oven at 250 degrees F for 10 to 15 minutes.

Sunflower seeds are usually left on the flower to dry. The flower may have to be wrapped with cheesecloth to prevent the birds form eating the seeds.

To roast sunflower seeds, place a single layer of raw dehulled kernels in a shallow pan. Roast in a 300 degree F oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until brown and crisp. Stir occasionally. Remove from the oven. One teaspoon of melted margarine may be added if preferred for each cup of seeds, stirring to evenly coat. Place the seeds on absorbent paper. Salt to taste. Store in tightly covered container.

For salted in the shell seeds, cover unhulled seeds with salted water in the amount of 2 quarts of water to ¼ to ½ cup salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 hours. Drain and dry on absorbent paper. Seeds can also be soaked overnight instead of boiled. Proceed as for roasted kernels mentioned earlier.

Source: National Food Safety Database

Lori Wuellner, LWuellne@oznet.ksu.edu
County Extension Agent, Family and Consumer Services
Wyandotte County, Kansas
Kansas State University Research and Extension