Sunday, October 30, 2016

The Tradition of Roasting Pumpkin Seeds around Halloween

Ahh, the smell of Autumn is in the air and it’s that one time of the year that pumpkins are plentiful. The fields once full with the orange, robust fruit have flowed to the shelves of every local grocer, fruit stand and farmer’s market. And we love it! 

Every year, we roast pumpkin seeds, fresh from our pumpkin haul. Having never grown the pumpkins ourselves, we make it a practice to find the best pumpkins for carving for Halloween and for toasting these nutritious “pepitos” which are filled with vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, and essential amino acids. 

We start by just pulling the gooey, fleshy pumpkin apart from the seeds. Such a perfect tradition for Halloween. Muwahahaha. In the past, we just salted them and tossed them in the oven. Now, we have added fun things like coconut oil and different spices like turmeric, curry, garlic and cinnamon. And the results have been a treat to our taste buds. We pack them in our lunches for days after the ritualistic toasting.

Sometimes politics keeps us apart, divided in our views that we stubbornly allow to ruin even the most casual of family dinners. But traditions have a way of pulling us all back together, especially traditions like pumpkin seed toasting. 

Heck with all that gooey pulling and seed sorting, one can’t help but stay focused on this task. I’d love to hear the traditions you do with your family this time of year.

Text me at 303-885-9926 with your tradition and I will send you a $5 Starbucks gift card. I know for a fact they have Pumpkin Lattes this time of year.


Keep in touch,

Stephanie