How to Rescue Gross Store Bought Pumpkin Seeds

Knut loves pumpkin

 seeds. As in, I leave the room and a whole bowlful has mysteriously vanished. So, when we went to a local pumpkin farm and spotted a

 bag of “homestyle” pumpkin seeds, we had to buy them. Famished after a hard day of picking pumpkins, hayrides, and haunted

 trails, we dug into them as soon as we were in the car. They were gummy, chalky, and very salty. We got into an argument about whether

 you’re supposed to eat the hulls or not. We still ate a quarter of the bag, but only out of desperation. They weren’t good.

So we brought them home and they sat around on the counter for a few days. I decided to rescue them. Here’s how I did it:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Put the seeds in a colander and wash them thoroughly. This will get rid of the excess salt and prime them a little for roasting. I ran them under cold running water and then shook out as much water as possible.

3. Transfer the seeds to a bowl and gently coat them in 2 tablespoons of oil (I used olive, but I doubt it matters much). The oil is the difference between crisp, toasted, flavorful seeds and pallid dry ones. Don’t worry if they feel super oily. Pumpkin seeds are sort of naturally slimy when they’re wet. Don’t skimp on the oil.

4. Spread the seeds on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with salt. Kosher or sea salt is extra nice because of the big tasty flakes.

5. Toast in the oven for 15 minutes. Take them out and turn them every 5 minutes. If they’re not golden and crisp after that time, roast in 3 minute increments until they are.

Voila!