Recipe developed and contributed by Maureen Gualtieri
It’s the spooky season again! Pumpkins are popping up everywhere, and if you’re thinking of turning one into a pie or a jack o’lantern for your porch, consider using the “whole animal,” and turning its seeds into a crunchy snack.
Pumpkin seeds are rich in nutrients like vitamin E and manganese and are high in fibre to boot. Roasting them in a salty-sweet combo of DFC’s Maple Bourbon Mustard and honey makes an addictive nosh that is hard to put down… Though if it keeps you from digging into your trick-or-treaters’ candy haul, it’s probably a good thing!
Roasted Honey Maple Mustard Pumpkin Seeds
(Yield: 2 cups )
2 cups pumpkin seeds, scooped from inside your jack o’lantern
3 tsp neutral-tasting oil (like canola)
1 tsp honey
2 tsp DFC’s Maple Bourbon Mustard
Flaky sea salt or kosher salt, to taste
To begin, preheat your oven to 250 degrees F, and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut open your jack o’lantern or pie pumpkin and scoop out 2 cups worth of seeds and guts into a large bowl. Fill the bowl with cold water, and rinse the seeds well, separating out the stringy bits of pumpkin flesh and discarding it. Drain the seeds, and ensure all the pumpkin strings are removed.
Tip the seeds out onto a clean kitchen towel or a few paper towels and dry them as well as you can. (The drier you can get them, the crunchier the final product will be.) Place the dry seeds in a clean, dry mixing bowl.
In a small bowl, incorporate the oil, honey, and DFC’s Maple Bourbon Mustard. Pour this mixture over the seeds in the mixing bowl, and stir well to coat.
Distribute the now-flavoured pumpkin seeds evenly over the prepped baking sheet. Liberally sprinkle them with flaky sea salt or kosher salt. Place the pan in the oven and roast for 1 hour, stirring seeds every 15 minutes. At the end of the hour, take the pan out, and bump the oven heat up to 450 degrees F. Put the seeds back in and roast for 3 minutes, until you hear crackling sounds and the seeds take on a golden brown colour. (Watch them extremely closely for burning!)
Cool your Honey Maple Mustard pumpkin seeds on the pan. They’re best enjoyed fresh, but can be stored them in an airtight container for up to a week. Enjoy them in salads or sprinkled in soup, or as a snack straight from the jar.
