A pleasant sweet taste, a slight crunch and an “exciting” cleansing process - that’s all about pumpkin seeds. They contain a lot of calcium, which is beneficial for the skin, teeth, and nails. They contain vitamins and microelements necessary for the body to function properly. The maximum amount of useful substances is contained in the raw product, but, unfortunately, it cannot be stored for a long time. The seeds quickly deteriorate and become unfit for consumption.
The best way to extend the shelf life of pumpkin seeds and preserve all their beneficial properties is to properly dry them. You can buy roasted seeds, but a product prepared yourself is much healthier, since the drying process occurs under your control. In this article we will tell you how to dry and peel pumpkin seeds at home.
Selecting seeds and preparing them for drying
It is not always possible to grow a pumpkin and process the seeds manually. Therefore, we will consider the option of purchasing ready-made ones.
How to choose the right one:
- by smell - if you feel any specific smell, then their kernels are probably affected by something; they will taste bitter;
- by appearance - the seeds must be thoroughly washed; if they stick, it means they have not been washed well;
- by the quality of the skin - if the skin of the roasted seeds is soft, they were prepared with violations of the technological process.
Many people prefer to get their own pumpkin seeds to avoid a poor quality product.
How to collect pumpkin seeds:
- cut the pumpkin in half;
- remove all the seeds with your hands and remove all the pulp from them;
- wash them in a colander several times;
- when all the moisture has drained, blot them with a napkin.
How to get raw peeled pumpkin kernels?
Raw pumpkin seeds are good for medicinal purposes. They are consumed in small quantities, only 10 grams per day. Therefore, peeling the seeds by hand will not be difficult. If the material is needed for a family of several people, then the following method is used to speed up the process.
- Cut the pumpkin in half and take out the seeds.
- The seeds are cleaned of pulp and washed with running water using a colander.
- Allow the water to drain, then spread the seeds on a baking sheet or a surface covered with oilcloth in one layer.
- Stirring occasionally, dry the seeds.
Attention!
Heat treatments destroy beneficial elements in any product. Therefore, it is not advisable to use high temperatures even for pre-drying seeds. Ideal drying occurs near the room's heating appliances in winter or in the sun in warm autumn. When drying in the oven, the temperature should be set to low and the door slightly open. The air in the oven should not feel like burning your hand.
- To peel the seed, take it by the thickened edge. Using scissors in the direction of the nose, cut off the areas where the sides of the peel are connected to each other. The cut starts from the middle of the seed.
- Turn the seed over with the cut part down and, gently pressing on the side walls, remove the kernel. In well-dried seeds, the kernel is easily peeled from the husk.
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If pumpkin seeds are eaten without claiming a medicinal effect, they are fried, then the peel becomes fragile and peels off easily.
Drying methods
It is best to dry the seeds outside under the influence of the sun - this way they will retain all their benefits. But it happens that this is not possible or they are needed as soon as possible and in large quantities. Let's consider possible drying methods, in addition to open air and sun.
In a frying pan
Simply dry the seeds in a frying pan:
- place the frying pan on medium heat;
- heat it well and reduce the heat;
- pour out dry and clean seeds;
- fry them, stirring constantly (no more than 10 minutes);
- the finished product is left to cool.
Microwave
When choosing this method, the product must be completely dry.
Procedure:
- placed on a glass dish from the microwave;
- dry at medium power for 3 minutes;
- open the door and mix them;
- turn on medium power and leave for another 3 minutes;
- mix again and repeat the previous step;
- Remove the glass dish and leave to cool.
In the oven
Before drying pumpkin seeds in the oven, be sure to wash them in water to get rid of the pulp. Then they are dried with a napkin and left to dry completely for several hours (preferably overnight).
You can put the product in the oven and not worry that some part will not dry completely:
- preheat the oven to 180°C;
- line a sheet of parchment on a baking sheet;
- lay out the seeds in one layer so that they do not lie on top of each other;
- place the baking sheet in a preheated oven;
- take it out exactly after 5 minutes and mix thoroughly;
- put back in the oven for another 7 minutes;
- Remove the pan and leave to cool.
If the pumpkin seeds are very damp, it is also enough to preheat the oven to 180°C , spread the parchment on a baking sheet, distribute the product in an even layer and place in the oven for 7 minutes. The moisture will leave through the pores of the peel and the kernels will dry out.
In an electric dryer for vegetables and fruits
The seeds are placed on the grate of each level of the dryer in an even layer. The temperature is set to 70°C . In order for them to dry equally, it is necessary to periodically rearrange the grates.
In a convection oven
The blowing power is set to maximum, the heating temperature is set to 70°C . Air fryer drying time is 40 minutes. The lid of the device is left slightly open for better ventilation - then the moist air will have somewhere to go.
Interesting facts about pumpkin seeds:
Harm and benefits of pumpkin seeds for men
The benefits and harms of pumpkin seeds for women
How to eat pumpkin seeds for weight loss
How to clean seeds in large quantities?
For preparing dishes where preference is given to the taste of pumpkin seeds, “mass cleaning” methods are used.
You can quickly remove the husks from the kernels using the following technology.
- Buy a pumpkin variety with large seeds or raw seeds. They look impressive in baked goods, and the kernels are easier to separate from the husk.
- Cut off the pumpkin's cap (the place where the fruit connects to the stem), and use a large metal spoon to scoop out the seeds.
- Rinse them in warm water and clean them well. All fibers must be removed. If there is no running water, you can soak the material in a large container, changing the water several times.
- The seeds are laid out on a metal tray, oilcloth or parchment paper in a thin layer. They are allowed to dry. It is not advisable to use regular paper for bedding; seeds may stick to it.
- Using a regular rolling pin for dough, roll out the layer in such a way as to break the shell without damaging the grain.
- A liter of water is poured into a large saucepan based on 475 ml of unpeeled seeds. Place the container on a gas stove over medium heat and bring the water to a boil.
- The dried seeds are poured into a saucepan, covered with a lid, and allowed to boil for 20 to 30 minutes. The duration of the process depends on how quickly the burst shells float to the top. Clean kernels remain at the bottom of the container.
- When all the pumpkin seeds have been peeled, use a spoon or strainer to remove the husks and drain the water through a colander over the sink. Cool the seeds in a colander with running water.
- The seeds are dried in the same way. After this they are ready to eat.
It should be noted that there are varieties of pumpkin in which the seeds do not have a peel and do not need to be peeled. You can plant several bushes of this pumpkin in your garden plot and provide yourself with enough pumpkin seeds. Pumpkin is a grateful, unpretentious plant.
How to determine if the seeds are dry
Well-dried ones have a light yellow color, the peel acquires density, and the shape becomes contoured . If you clean one thing, you will notice how easily the film separates from the core. The color of the kernel should be dark green with white speckles.
Important! The seed should not taste wet, have a strong crunch, or have a bitter taste. If these signs are not present, the product is perfectly dried.
How to peel pumpkin seeds
Peeling them is easy. Properly dried seeds easily lose their shell . It is enough to take the seed between your thumb and forefinger and press lightly - the peel will immediately open into two halves.
How to Peel Raw and Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Fresh and wet seeds are not easy to clean. Remember that when dried they last much longer . If you peel the seeds raw, eat them immediately. Otherwise, they will become moldy, lose their beneficial properties, and become rancid.
Still, many people love to nibble on unroasted pumpkin seeds. You can get the kernel from raw seeds in this way :
- cut the pumpkin and remove the seeds;
- free the seeds from the pulp, wash with water in a colander;
- blot with a napkin and place on a baking sheet;
- dry them a little from moisture;
- lightly roll the product with a rolling pin;
- put in a saucepan, pour boiling water (1:2).
- cook for 30 minutes over low heat.
The skin will rise to the surface, and the kernels will remain below . Carefully remove the peel with a spoon and pour the water with the seeds into a colander.
Cleaning roasted seeds
When the pumpkin seeds are properly dried, the storage location is chosen correctly, you can start consuming them. There are many recipes using shelled roasted pumpkin seeds - you'll need more than a handful.
Perhaps it will be urbech (a paste made from nuts and seeds) or granola (a baked mixture of nuts, seeds, and dried fruits). In any case, every housewife should know what cleaning methods exist.
The easiest and most effective way to clean large quantities of roasted pumpkin seeds is using a home blender:
- pour water into a saucepan (1 liter per 0.5 kg of pumpkin seeds), bring to a boil;
- pour out the seeds and cook them over low heat under a closed lid for half an hour;
- remove all floating husks with a spoon, drain the water with seeds into a colander;
- wash the seeds to remove any remaining husks;
- dry the seeds.
There are varieties of pumpkin in which the seeds do not have a peel . Then you won’t have to peel the seeds, you can immediately enjoy the taste and get the benefits.
Industrial cleaning
In large-scale conditions, special equipment is used to peel seeds . This is a large centrifuge into which clean and washed pumpkin seeds are collected. They are exposed to centrifugal force and hit the walls of the container.
The peel is damaged, but the kernels remain intact. As soon as the husk begins to come off, the vibration starts. The shells rise up and end up in the trash.
Then the cleaned seeds once again go through the first stage - a centrifuge. Afterwards the seeds are washed and dried. Before packaging in production, the seeds are sorted by hand to check for the absence of debris.
How to choose delicious pumpkin seeds?
The best pumpkin seeds are those that are extracted from the vegetable and processed yourself. Even the highest quality store-bought product cannot compare with them in terms of taste and level of beneficial components. Well, it’s generally better not to buy already peeled seeds, even if they are thoroughly cleaned and securely packaged.
When purchasing raw or roasted pumpkin seeds, you need to keep the following points in mind:
- You need to choose thoroughly washed seeds, otherwise mold fungi will settle on the remaining vegetable pulp and you won’t be able to store them for a long time. To check the quality of pumpkin seeds, you just need to touch them (it is advisable to wet your fingers before doing this). If the products stick to the skin, they are not washed properly.
- You definitely need to smell the product. If it emits a specific rotten smell, the kernels may be damaged by something. In this case, the pumpkin seeds will be bitter and ruin the dish.
Advice: The more active the heat treatment of seeds, the less useful components remain in them. If you plan to use the kernels for therapeutic purposes, then it is better to avoid frying them in favor of drying them in the fresh air.
- Fried products should be firm to the touch. If the husk is soft, the component was prepared incorrectly.
A high-quality product is not only tastier and healthier, it is even easier to clean. In many ways, for this reason, experienced housewives prefer to harvest pumpkin seeds themselves.
Do I need to wash shelled pumpkin seeds?
After drying the seeds yourself and cleaning them, it is not advisable to moisten them again, since after that you will have to resort to drying again. Then there will be much less useful properties. In addition, when washed, dried peeled seeds will crumble.
However, if you purchased pumpkin seeds in a store and are not sure of their quality, you can put the seeds in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
How pumpkin seeds are cleaned in production
To prepare pumpkin seeds for further use by enterprises or for sale in stores, special installations will be required. The process is also divided into stages, and productivity reaches up to 250 kg in a short period of time - in just 1 hour.
To peel pumpkin seeds, they are first dried and calibrated. Only then do they go into a seed drying machine, where the husks are removed. The device also does not cope with all the product, leaving a defect (culling).
Pumpkin seeds can be completely cleared of husks using a cyclone, a winnower, and the process is completed by a vibrating table.
Storing peeled pumpkin seeds
After drying using the chosen method, it is necessary to determine the location and storage conditions. The storage place should be dark and dry . The seeds are placed in a fabric bag and hung up so that they are ventilated. Can also be placed in a glass jar, ceramic container or cardboard box.
There are several important rules for storing pumpkin seeds :
- if there are a lot of them, then divide them into several parts;
- there should be enough oxygen in the storage room, but high humidity will only do harm;
- there should be no high temperature in the storage location;
- It is not advisable to leave a dried and fried product in storage for a long time.
