My oldest daughter decided to carve her pumpkin on Sunday so I decided to save the seeds to toast. I've toasted the seeds of pumpkins on several occasions and thought that they would make an awesome treat for my little rat, Nibblet. Other small mammals can enjoy them too - hamsters, gerbils, mice, etc. Even birds can eat toasted pumpkin seeds! So don't throw out those pumpkin seeds! Here's how you toast them...
Step 1:
Carve your pumpkin and seperate all the seeds from the pulp.
Step 2:
Rinse the seeds in water, removing any excess pulp.
Step 3:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. While the oven preheats, lightly grease a pan with pure vegetable oil. Do not use non-stick pan. These types of pans are not good for birds. Place your pumpkin seeds on the baking sheet and bake them for 30 - 45 minutes. You may want to turn them over every 5 - 10 minutes so that they don't burn.
Step 4:
Share your toasty seeds with your rat, hamster, gerbil, or bird. This is the fun part! Do not add any seasoning or salt to the seeds.
If you want to have some seeds for yourself, you can season them with a little salt or whatever else you prefer. Mmmm tasty!
I think my peeps would be having those. Have a lovely Monday.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes Molly
Your rat is cute and that is something I never thought I'd say! :-)
ReplyDeleteLol thank you Debra!
DeleteI haven't made these in years. You've inspired me!
ReplyDeleteI love roasted pumpkin seeds!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if guinea pigs can have them:)
I don't think pumpkin seeds would hurt them any, but their diet doesn't really need any seeds in it. Hay at all times, maybe a quarter cup of timothy hay based pellets a day, and some dark leafy greens like kale or dandelion. Thank you for coming to visit. Enjoyed your precious pig's photos earlier today :-)
DeleteAww what a cute little rattie! I love rats and miss having their company.
ReplyDeleteWhen toasting seeds for myself, I boil the seed in salted water for 20-30 minutes until they turn to a grey colour, then I bake them! They're wonderfully salty without the mess XD
Thanks for stopping by Dobermann Daze!
Nibblet thanks you for the compliment. That sounds like a great idea! Boiling the seeds in salted water first. May have to try it on the next pumpkin. Thanks for stopping by!
ReplyDeleteI always just give my rats the whole pumpkin. They love the seeds, but they will definitely do a good job carving.
ReplyDelete