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Tom grew up in Milwaukee, bartended in Wauwatosa in the '70s and moved here in 1984.

Commentary, observations and musings about the outdoors, life in general and maybe Tosa politics and personalities will be the order of the day. He savors a lively debate as much as terrific cooking.

The Best Roasted Pumpkin Seeds In The World

Backyard Homesteading, Dangerous Kitchen Experiments, Gardening, Roasted Pumpkin Seeds, Snackface Pumpkin

Well at least possibly the world's best roasted pumpkin seeds.

Halloween is just around the corner and with the carving of the gourds all of those seeds can be put to good use.  This should be a family-wide kitchen project.

I've been roasting pumpkin seeds most of my life.  Beginning as a child with the help of my parents.  Followed-on by several decades of jack-o'-lantern carving.  And finally by serious pumpkin growing.  For their seeds.  Admittedly I've grown pumpkins for carving, roasting on the grill or making pie filling.  You can get a can of pie filling just about anywhere.  But where can you get a good roasted pumpkin seed?

This year I aspired to raise the bar a bit and did some research on seed-producing pumpkins.  I wasn't looking for pie filing or a carving squash.  I wanted seeds.  A hybrid pumpkin renowned not for its pulp but for its seeds.

If you're a fan of roasted pumpkin seeds you have to check this out.  Not only are these small pumpkins prolific seed producers - their seeds lack the tough outer hulls of other gourds making them perfect for roasting.  On top of that they're a bush-variety and don't take-up large amounts of space in the garden.

The Snackface hybrid pumpkin.

See that cute little guy?  A perfect, organically-raised, less than two pound pumpkin.

And chock-full of hull-less green seeds - pure kernel - without the tough shell.  All you have to do is insert your index and middle finger into the pulp and all of those seeds will slip right out.  Yielding more than a cup per gourd.

Pour your seeds into a stock pot and add enough cold water so that they float freely.  Add to that as much kosher salt as you can stand.  Bring your pot to a boil and then turn-down the heat and simmer uncovered for 30-40 minutes.

Drain your seeds in a colander.

Spread them out on a cookie sheet and bake at 300 degrees - stirring every 15 minutes with a spatula.  When they start to snap, crackle and pop pay close attention to them.  They're almost done.

Finished product!  A light, nutty, salty, snack that is full of vitamins, minerals and healthy antioxidants.  The next batch I make I think I'm going to sprinkle with Penzeys BBQ spice prior to roasting for a special flair.

Serve with an icy-cold brewski when you watch the Packer game. 

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