Wondering how to dry pumpkin seeds to eat or how to prepare pumpkin seed? Drying pumpkin seeds from fresh pumpkins is an easy process, but can take time. So plan accordingly when looking at making roasted pumpkin seeds or other recipes with your seeds!
How To Dry Pumpkin Seeds To Eat (From Fresh Pumpkin!)
Pumpkins are the start of Halloween, which means pumpkin carving and eating. But what do you do with all those seeds? You can’t just throw those punkin’ seeds out because they make a tasty snack for kids and Halloween parties! Dry those seeds off in order to eat them later! Here’s how:
How do you air dry pumpkin seeds?
To air dry pumpkin seeds you’ll need to rinse the pumpkin seeds (in the pumpkin guts) in a colander, removing any fresh pumpkin or pumpkin fiber. Dab the wet pumpkin seeds with paper towel. Spread evenly on wax paper and allow seeds to air dry, usually around 2 hours.
*see full how to directions and tips in the How To below
How to Clean Pumpkin Seeds
Here’s how to how to remove pumpkin seeds and clean them for eating.
Cleaning pumpkin seeds step-by-step:
- Scoop pumpkin seeds from fresh pumpkin and place on a paper covered table.
- Remove as many of the seeds as you can from the pumpkin “guts” and place pumpkin seeds in a colander.
- Rinse pumpkin seeds, using your fingers to sort out any pumpkin pulp and fiber. Continue rinsing until pumpkin seeds are clean.
- Spread pumpkin seeds out on wax paper to dry, usually overnight.
- Roast pumpkin seeds using your favorite roasted pumpkin seed recipe! (You can even how to cook pumpkin seeds in air fryer!)
Cleaning and cooking pumpkin seeds is a great fall activity for kids (or even for Halloween activities for kids). It’s fun to scoop out the seeds from the pumpkin, get messy, and then get to eat a fun recipe for kids! You can also use the time to talk about pumpkin life cycles and read some pumpkin books for kids!
Now let’s cover do pumpkin seeds need to dry before roasting…
Do pumpkin seeds need to be dry to roast?
Pumpkin seeds should be dried before roasting them. Drying pumpkin seeds serves several purposes:
- Allows any seasonings to cling better to the dried seeds
- Makes roasted pumpkin seeds crunchy
- Allows you to be able to store them easily without them going bad as quickly
How long do pumpkin seeds have to dry?
Depending on the amount of pumpkin seeds you have and the method you use for drying, it can take anywhere from 30 minutes (for low temperature oven drying) up to 4 hours+ (for air drying) to get your pumpkin seeds dry.
You may be wondering how long do raw pumpkin seeds last after you scoop them out of the pumpkin…
How long are pumpkin seeds good for before roasting?
You may be wondering how long can pumpkin seeds sit out before cooking. Fresh pumpkin seeds that are wet out of the pumpkin can sit for a few hours before being cleaned and roasted. However, if you are not going to dry or roast your pumpkin seeds for a few day, pick as much of the pumpkin away from the seeds as you can and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
How long do pumpkin seeds last after roasting…
How long do roasted pumpkin seeds last?
Roasted pumpkin seeds placed in an airtight container will be good for up to 2 weeks, depending on the seasonings that you used while roasting the seeds.
Do raw pumpkin seeds need to be refrigerated?
If you are not cleaning and drying the pumpkin seeds right away after removing them from the pumpkin, you will need to refrigerate them. Pumpkin seeds can be stored in an airtight container (with some of the pumpkin) for 3-4 days. Any more than that and the pumpkin seeds may start to mold.
Can you freeze raw pumpkin seeds?
Yes. You can freeze raw pumpkin seeds for up to a year for the best quality. Be sure to place them in airtight containers or vacuum seal them in freezer bags to best preserve them.
How To Tell If Pumpkin Seeds Are Bad
Pumpkin seeds will mold and go bad if stored improperly or you don’t use them soon enough after cleaning them out of the pumpkin. Check pumpkin seeds for mold spots, or change in color, taste stale, or may even have a rancid smell. Any of these indicate that pumpkin seeds have gone bad and should probably be discarded.
What To Do With Pumpkin Seeds
Once you’ve dried pumpkin seeds, they can be used in a variety of ways! This is how to eat pumpkin seeds shell and how to eat roasted pumpkin seeds…
How to eat pumpkin seeds:
- Plain (raw)
- Seasoned and roasted as a snack
- On salads
- In soups
- Baked in breads or muffins
- Used in homemade trail mix
- Mixed with smoothies
- Mixed with granola cereal
- With oatmeal
- Used on cheese plates or charcuterie boards
- In any recipes with pumpkin seeds or substituted for other seeds
- & more!
Let us know your favorite ways how to use dried pumpkin seeds and we’ll add them to our list!
Check out how to eat pumpkin seeds:
Roasting Shelled Pumpkin Seeds 4 Different Ways (including sweet and salty pumpkin seeds recipe)
Air Fryer Pumpkin Seeds (savory and a nice change from sweet pumpkin seeds air fryer!)
Drying Pumpkin Seeds For Roasting and Eating
If you’re wondering how do you dry pumpkin seeds by air drying, here’s the easy way to make air dried pumpkin seeds.
If you’re wondering how to dry out pumpkin seeds other ways, like dehydrating pumpkin seeds, you can with a dehydrator like this. You’ll want to soak the pumpkin seeds in water, drain them, and then toss them in oil before drying pumpkin seeds in the dehydrator.
How To Dry Pumpkin Seeds
Equipment
- Colander
- Wax paper
Ingredients
- Fresh pumpkin
Instructions
- Carefully, cut top out of pumpkin (to create the "lid" for the pumpkin that you're carving).
- Scoop out guts and and seeds of pumpkin. Separate as many of the seeds as you can and place seeds in colander. Dispose of the rest of the pumpkin guts. (We like to put ours outside for the squirrels!)
- Rinse pumpkin seeds, removing pumpkin guts until seeds are clean. Pat seeds dry with paper towel.
- Place a long piece of wax paper on the counter. Spread clean seeds in a single layer on the wax paper to air dry, at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Test that seeds are dry and roast them for eating! (GET ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS RECIPE HERE) Store in airtight container until ready to use.
Notes
Children’s Books About Pumpkin
After cleaning pumpkin seeds for roasting, read some pumpkin books for kids while the seeds are drying!
We love these fall pumpkin children’s books:
