The Important Step You Can't Skip When Storing Raw Pumpkin Seeds

Do you always throw out the gush-ridden seed leftovers of your pumpkin after transforming it into a frightful jack-o'-lantern? Because if so, we're here to tell you that you've been making a big mistake. Because those tiny, seemingly unassuming seeds can be transformed into delectable fall-perfect snacks that will suit anyone's palette.

All Recipes reports you can roast your pumpkin seeds with butter, cinnamon, and sugar for a candy-like dessert. The same outlet also notes that baking your pumpkin seeds with salt and Worcestershire sauce will leave you with a perfectly crunchy chip-esque treat.

And that's not all. Pumpkin seeds aren't only good for roasting. You can also use them to add something new to your Thanksgiving dessert table by baking up pumpkin seed brittle.

However, if you're now convinced you should save your raw pumpkin seeds from here on out (as you very well should be), you need to know how to properly store them. And there is one step you always need to take to ensure that the raw pumpkin seeds in your freezer are baking-ready (per Fountain Avenue Kitchen).

Despite how the orange, seed-entangled entrails of your pumpkin may look on a plate, preparing raw pumpkin seeds for roasting is actually relatively simple. After all, you can make the cleaning process easy by allowing the seeds to soak in a bowl of water. But once you've properly de-gunked your soon-to-be snack, drying them off with a rag is not the final step in the pumpkin seed preparation process.

According to Fountain Avenue Kitchen, before you put away your pumpkin seeds for future recipes, you need to ensure they are completely dried of all moisture. And while you can leave your seeds out to dry until the morning after you carved your pumpkin, Food52 reports that the most effective way to get your raw pumpkin seeds high and dry for storage is to put them in the oven.

As Food52 notes, you need to leave your seeds on to dry for around an hour at 250℉. The University of Nebraska suggests stirring regularly to prevent scorching.

Once you've properly prepared your raw pumpkin seeds, by storing them in the freezer Lucky Belly reports you'll be able to make snacks out of them for the next year — so they'll last all the way up to next Halloween.