As you gut the pumpkins, keep all the seeds—and guts—in a bowl.

Throw them into a colander and rinse them under cold water, pulling away the chunks of pulp as you go.

Spread the rinsed seeds out on a baking sheet.

Allow the seeds to dry several hours or overnight. And beware: they’re quite sticky/slimy, so don’t place them on paper towels! Just leave ‘em on the baking sheet and they’ll be fine.

When they’re nice and dry, go ahead and preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

Begin by drizzling the seeds with a couple teaspoons of olive oil.

Use your fingers to toss the seeds around to coat.

Then salt and season the seeds to taste.

Pop ‘em in the oven for an hour or so, until the seeds are light golden brown.

Let them cool for a few minutes…then let the snacking begin!

Pepitas need to be stored in an airtight container if they last beyond the first day.

Note:

Add any seasonings you want, such as cayenne, curry powder, etc.