All about proper drying of pumpkin seeds
At first glance, drying vegetables, fruits, nuts or seeds at home is a difficult and troublesome task. In fact, just follow a few simple rules, and you can both dry pumpkin seeds yourself and store them for a long time. Treat yourself and your family with a delicious product!
Culinary and consumer information
Pumpkin seeds are tasty and healthy. They are used as a raw material for the production of pumpkin oil, in “beauty recipes”, in cooking - in salads, baked goods, and vegetarian dishes.
Pumpkin seeds are rich in minerals, microelements, natural protein compounds, and natural carbohydrates. Of particular value is the high content of tocopherol - vitamin E. This group of substances has a positive effect on the human reproductive system. Maybe that’s why Ukrainian girls, having decided to refuse a potential groom, gave the matchmakers a pumpkin during matchmaking? As they say, we looked at the root!
Important!
Pumpkin seeds are high in calories. 100 grams of dry product contains about 550 kcal. If you supplement the delicacy with salt, oil and spices, then - beware, figure!
You should not eat pumpkin in the following cases:
- individual intolerance;
- some diseases of the stomach and intestines, liver;
Pregnancy and lactation, childhood are not contraindications.
Pumpkin seeds are not used raw, as they are difficult to peel.Although the maximum useful substances are contained in the raw product! In addition, they contain a large amount of moisture, quickly deteriorate and mold. Therefore, before storing or using for culinary purposes, the seeds should be dried.
Drying pumpkin seeds: how not to spoil the product?
Any variety of pumpkin is suitable for harvesting seeds - both food culinary and fodder and wild varieties of this crop. We bought it, grew it, cut it, used the pulp, and collected the seeds. There will be no hassle with the preparation - the desired useful product is in the seed chamber, and not scattered throughout the pulp, as in a watermelon.
There are several drying methods.
Naturally at home
This method is suitable for all pumpkin lovers. The main thing is free space and warm sunny weather.
- Clean the seeds from any remaining pulp.
- Rinse with clean water.
- Spread the seeds in 1 layer on a horizontal surface covered with baking paper. This can be a baking sheet, any metal sheet. It is better not to use wooden surfaces of the house as a substrate, since the seeds are rich in moisture, and the wood will draw moisture and become deformed.
- Forget for a few days. But keep an eye on the weather conditions, since the drying process does not occur in the rain.
- The criterion for properly dried seeds is the fragility of the shell.
Drying in the oven or fruit dehydrator at home
The sequence of operations is slightly different.
- Wash the pumpkin seeds.
- Read the instructions for the electric dryer. It describes the modes and optimal temperatures for drying vegetables, fruits, and seeds.
- Place the raw materials on pallets in one layer, set the correct mode and forget about the seeds for a while.
- For the oven, the drying temperature is no more than 100 degrees. The time is determined empirically, but the whole process will take several hours. The shell should be dry and brittle.
Quick oven drying
This method is suitable for those pumpkin lovers who cannot wait even a few hours. It is important not to leave the oven, as drying takes place at high temperatures and there is a risk of getting a burnt product.
Method of working with seeds:
- prepare the raw materials - remove the pulp, rinse with water;
- oven temperature – 180 degrees;
- spread the seeds on a baking sheet in 1 layer;
- place in the oven for 20 minutes;
- carefully taste the seed - the shell should be dry and fragile;
- transfer the finished product to a cold baking sheet, so the seeds will cool quickly and not burn.
Microwave
This is more frying than drying. Therefore, prepare a small portion for 1 time. The sequence of operations is similar to the previous recipes. Microwave drying time is 2 minutes at full power.
Storing Dried Pumpkin Seeds
You can only store completely and properly dried seeds at home. Fried ones are not stored, but are eaten immediately, as they easily become damp.
Basic storage rules should be followed.
- A dry place - this can be a cotton bag hanging in a ventilated area.
- A glass or ceramic container with a tight-fitting lid. The main thing is to prevent moisture penetration.
- Cardboard box in a dry place.
- Hulled pumpkin seeds do not last long. They come into contact with air, pumpkin oil oxidizes and deteriorates. Therefore, make a rule - clean it and immediately use it for its intended purpose!
- If you buy ready-made seeds rather than pumpkin, be sure to smell the product. If you notice a sharp, unpleasant oily odor, then refuse to purchase. The seeds are hopelessly lost, and consuming them is dangerous to health.
Don't buy factory-produced pumpkin seeds. Most often they are seasoned with salt, preservatives, flavor enhancers and various E and almost the entire table of D.I. Mendeleev. Prepare a delicious and healthy product at home. It's easy - just follow the drying and storage rules!
We advise you to read the article about how to dry crackers in the oven
Everything is almost the same, but in the sun and a slight breeze, drying of pumpkin seeds happens faster... but I’ll use a heater to dry it from underneath on the mesh. Bye... good luck... work hard, don’t be lazy.