Pumpkin Carving Tips and Tricks and Roasting Pumpkin Seeds are Fun for the Whole Family!

Carving Pumpkins and Roasting Pumpkin Seeds:

This is a Halloween tradition in our family.🎃

Make sweet and savory flavors! Healthy snack!

One of my favorite Halloween traditions is to carve pumpkins with my kids and then roast the pumpkin seeds inside the pumpkins. The process can be a little yucky, but also so fun and satisfying.

Don't throw those nutritious and yummy pumpkin seeds away...roast them! I have included directions for roasting your pumpkin seeds with many flavor combinations from sweet to savory. See below!

Carving pumpkins:

Most people have carved a pumpkin at some point. But here are a few tips I recently got from Master Pumpkin Carver, Barry Brown. 🎃

1. Buy some pumpkin carving tools... See below. Now easily assessable at many stores.

2. Most people cut off the top of the pumpkin. Consider cutting the hole in the bottom or at the back. Use the small saw in your kit.

3. Cut half a circle in the bottom of the pumpkin- then push in. Cut the other half of the circle and push it out of the pumpkin. This avoids your hand from getting stuck in the pumpkin! You're Welcome!

4. Scrape out the inside of the pumpkin with a pumpkin scraper. It makes it easier to get out the yucky seeds! (But wash and save the seeds for roasting). The handle of the scraper is smaller than a spoon and easier to use.

5. Scrape the insides of the pumpkin with the scraper. The thinner the thickness, the easier for the kids to carve.

6. To carve the face or design.....use the small saw in the kit. Put the pumpkin in your lap (or your kid's lap if old enough) for easy access and safe control. Use one of the small saws. Saw with an up and down motion, then slowly move. Don't try too hard, meaning don't push too hard.... or you will break the blade.

7. Consider using a pattern design. Patterns are available at craft stores or online. You can make very creative designs, and older kids will love them!

Pumpkin carving kit for real and faux pumpkins

Victoria! Sometimes she scares me!!

Sweet Memories!

Roasting Pumpkin Seeds:

Don't Throw Away Your Pumpkin Seeds, they are delicious and Nutritious!

We do this activity while carving pumpkins or right after. But you can wait for a day/s -if you prefer.

I (Penny) am usually the one in charge of roasting the pumpkin seeds. While the kids are carving the pumpkins, I begin to clean the pumpkin seeds. Here are the directions/recipe:

1. Remove the seeds. You will have to rinse off the yucky slimy pulp. If this grosses you out, wear gloves. Use a colander under cold running water, to help wash the seeds and separate the slimy pulp that you will discard. This will take a minute, but it's worth it!

2. Dry the seeds in between a clean towel. They may stick to paper towels. Get them as dry as possible; or let seeds dry overnight. The drier the seeds, the more crisp and less chewy the roasted seeds will be. Moisture will create steam, which will make the seeds less crunchy.

3. Toss the seeds in olive oil and seasonings (See below for seasoning ideas). Spread out on a pan lined with parchment paper or sprayed with cooking spray.

4. Roast the seeds at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes, turning every 5 minutes to ensure even browning. Let cool down for 5 to 10 minutes.

5. If chewy the next day, put it in a 250-degree oven for 10 minutes or so.

*Note: My daughter-in-law said that her pumpkin seeds started popping in the oven! If this happens to you, your oven may be running hot. Turn down the oven to 300 degrees. You may want to take the pumpkin seeds out of the oven first. This has never happened to me, but just in case, I thought I would include the tip. Also, she was using seeds from an heirloom pumpkin so that may have been the culprit.😀

Pumpkin Seed Seasoning Ideas;

Season the seeds before you put them in the oven. You can also add extra seasoning when they come out.

1. Taco: Drizzle with olive oil, then season with 1 to 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning and 1/2 teaspoon of garlic salt.

2. Ranch: Drizzle with olive oil, and add ranch salad dressing mix (dry mix in packets) to taste.

3. Cinnamon sugar: Drizzle with melted butter or coconut oil. Mix sugar and cinnamon to taste. Sprinkle the seeds with the sugar mixture

4. Smoked Paprika: Drizzle olive oil, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, cumin, and smoked paprika.

5. Use your imagination... consider other ingredients like chili powder, curry, cumin, maple syrup, etc.

Have fun this Halloween!

Halloween with my kids and their cousins many years ago! 😍

Happy Halloween!!

Bon appétit!! 🎃

❤️ P