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up vote 12 down vote favorite

I've always enjoyed eating the pumpkin seeds when I buy them at vendor, but whenever I try to make them at home in the oven, they always seem to turn out either still soggy, or deflated and not crunchy. What am I missing in the technique - I've just simply washed them off, laid on aluminum foil and placed in the oven at 350.

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3 Answers

up vote 6 down vote accepted

Be sure not to crowd them on the pan when roasting.

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up vote 6 down vote

Be sure and roast them in a single layer, and keep going until they are golden brown, tossing occasionally. If they are soggy, you probably just aren't cooking them long enough to drive off all of the water.

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up vote 14 down vote

I let mine dry after washing, then toss them in oil, sprinkle with salt, and then roast on a sheet pan

I also make sure to get in there and stir them a few times during roasting, to be sure that they all get exposed to the heat, and on both sides.

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1  
+1 I think the dry and then oil is the answer. It's fun to play with the oil too (like butter or bacon grease) and then experiment with spices (garam masala, chili powder, brown sugar). – yossarian♦ Sep 10 '10 at 15:36
+1, though I usually actively dry mine first (paper towel, usually) rather than just letting them sit out to dry. I'm not that patient. – Bob Sep 10 '10 at 15:39
@Bob : I never said I was patient ... I dry 'em in the oven while it's pre-heating. – Joe Sep 11 '10 at 12:02

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