How to fry pumpkin seeds: in a frying pan, in the microwave, in the oven so that they open, benefits and harms, calorie content

Content

1 Benefits of roasted pumpkin seeds
- 1.1 How many calories are in roasted pumpkin seeds?
2 Preparing pumpkin seeds for roasting
3 How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds
4 How to Store Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
5 Conclusion

Pumpkin is one of the few fruits that contains simply a huge amount of useful vitamins and microelements. At the same time, it is not only the pumpkin pulp that benefits the human body, but also its seeds. Since ancient times, the Slavs have used them for medicinal and preventive purposes. After all, pumpkin seeds, being a storehouse of useful substances, have a beneficial effect on the entire body, improving the composition of the blood and normalizing its sugar level. In addition, they can even be called a natural antidepressant. Unfortunately, raw seeds can cause stomach upset and bloating for many, so it is better to consume this product fried. But you need to fry pumpkin seeds correctly so that they remain just as healthy.

Benefits of roasted pumpkin seeds

There are many opinions about the benefits and harms of roasted pumpkin seeds. For example, many experts claim that raw pumpkin seeds are the most useful, because fried ones, in their opinion, have a small amount of useful substances, since most of them are lost during heat treatment. But in fact, fried pumpkin seeds contain a sufficient amount of vitamins and microelements if they were properly fried.

If we consider the composition of raw pumpkin seeds, then half of them consist of oils. Thus, 100 g of this product contains 50 g of fat. Also, 100 g contains simply a record amount of biologically active substances, such as:

amino acids;
vitamins PP, D, E, K and almost the entire group B, as well as alpha and beta carotene, lutein;
potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, manganese, selenium, iron, copper;
glycosides and alkaloids;
antidepressants;
vegetable protein;
cellulose.

Attention! 1 tbsp. peeled pumpkin seeds can replenish the daily requirement of zinc in the human body.

Thanks to such a rich composition, they have the following effects on the body:

They normalize digestion and also have a mild diuretic, laxative, and antiparasitic effect.
Normalize metabolism, helping to absorb micronutrients, reducing glucose levels.
Helps remove toxins, salts and cholesterol from the body.
Increases the amount of serotonin, reduces susceptibility to pain.
Strengthens blood vessels.
They have a rejuvenating effect on the skin.
They thin the blood and have an anti-inflammatory effect.
Restores the functioning of the nervous system.
Prevents the development of osteoporosis.
Normalizes sleep, relieves fatigue, and improves mood.

Roasted pumpkin seeds are especially beneficial for men, because they contain a large amount of zinc, which helps prevent the formation of prostate adenoma. It helps create an environment that is toxic to foreign cells.

How many calories are in roasted pumpkin seeds?

Due to the large amount of oil and protein in pumpkin seeds, this product is quite high in calories. Raw seeds contain about 340 kcal. The calorie content of roasted pumpkin seeds reaches up to 600 kcal per 100 g.

Preparing pumpkin seeds for roasting

Preparing pumpkin seeds for roasting is a fairly simple matter, but requires special attention, since the correctness of this process will affect the subsequent benefits of the product.

Don't miss the fact that before cutting the pumpkin, you need to wash it thoroughly. After all, not only dirt accumulates on its peel, but also pathogens.

After washing the pumpkin, wipe it with a paper towel, cut it in half and remove all the fibers with seeds, placing them on a plate. Then, use your hands to separate the seeds from the fibers, place them in a colander and rinse under running water.

Well-washed seeds are spread on a cloth or gauze in a thin layer and left in a sunny place for 3-4 days. After this procedure, the seeds are ready for further roasting.

How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds

You can fry pumpkin seeds not only in a frying pan, but also in the oven and even in the microwave. At the same time, in order to properly fry the seeds, you should familiarize yourself with the basic recommendations.

How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds in the Oven

Roasting pumpkin seeds in the oven is convenient if the quantity is large enough.

Oven roasting method:

Place parchment paper on a baking sheet and sprinkle seeds on it.
Then they are evenly distributed over the entire surface so that they are arranged in an even layer.
The baking tray with the seeds is placed in an oven preheated to 140 degrees for 1 hour.
After frying, remove the baking sheet and pour the seeds onto a plate lined with parchment paper to prevent them from overcooking.

Important! To preserve most of the nutritional properties, the product must be sent to an already preheated oven.

How to fry pumpkin seeds in a frying pan

The most common cooking option is frying in a pan.

Method for frying pumpkin seeds in a frying pan:

Place the frying pan on the stove and heat it.
Pumpkin seeds are poured into a hot, dry frying pan. You need to pour in such an amount that the bottom of the pan is covered with an even thin layer; you should not add too many seeds, as they will not be able to fry completely.
Then reduce the heat to medium, and stirring constantly, bring the seeds to a golden state.
After the shell acquires a light brown tint, reduce the heat. Stirring, fry until a cracking noise begins to be heard (this means that the shell is cracking). Then you can taste the seeds for readiness; if they have reached the required roasting, then turn off the stove and pour the fried seeds onto parchment paper.

How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds in the Microwave

The easiest way to fry is to use the microwave.

Roasting seeds in the microwave:

To fry pumpkin seeds in the microwave, they need to be laid out in a thin layer on a special (microwave-safe) flat plate.
Then it is placed in the microwave, set to full power and turned on for 1 minute.
After a minute, remove the plate, mix the seeds and put them in the microwave again for 1 minute.

Attention! Depending on the power of the microwave oven, the amount of frying per minute can vary from 2 to 5 times. After each time, you need to taste the seeds to see if they are ready.

You can cook pumpkin seeds in the microwave quite quickly, but you won’t be able to fry a large number of seeds this way.

How to deliciously roast pumpkin seeds with salt

You can deliciously fry pumpkin seeds with salt both in a frying pan and in the oven.

When frying in a frying pan to obtain salted seeds, it is advisable to soak them in a moderately salted aqueous solution (50 g of salt per 500 ml of water) for 2-3 hours. Then they need to be blotted well with a paper towel and only then fried.

To roast salted pumpkin seeds in the oven, you just need to salt them with fine salt before putting them in the oven. During prolonged roasting in the oven, the salt will dissolve and the seeds will be well saturated.

How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds to Make Them Open

In order for pumpkin seeds to open during frying, you need to carry out some actions in advance that will help break the strength of the shell:

Pumpkin seeds should be soaked in salt water for 2-3 hours.
After soaking, the seeds must be transferred to a colander to drain all the liquid.
Then you can lightly mash them with your hands (do not crush the shells).
Slightly crushed seeds need to be transferred to a deep plate and placed under a press for 15-20 minutes.

Attention! If for some reason you need to fry unleavened roasted seeds, then you should soak them in plain water, not for 2-3 hours, but for 5-6 hours.

After these steps, you can roast the seeds. At the same time, during cooking, a more intense, pronounced pumpkin aroma should appear.

How to deliciously fry pumpkin seeds in a frying pan with spices

There are many recipes for frying pumpkin seeds with various spices. Depending on the taste you want to achieve, you can use the following spices:

hot red pepper;
black pepper;
garlic powder;
sugar;
nutmeg;
cinnamon

To roast spicy pumpkin seeds, you can use a recipe using pepper and lemon juice.

For frying you will need:

unpeeled pumpkin seeds – 200 g;
lemon juice – 1 tbsp. l.;
ground red pepper - on the tip of a spoon;
salt – 0.5 tsp.

Cooking process:

Mix pumpkin seeds in a deep container with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
Let the ingredients sit well.
Heat a frying pan and pour the seeds into it.
Reduce heat, and stirring constantly, fry them for about 2-3 minutes.
Transfer the finished seeds to a plate and leave until completely cool.

How to Store Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Roasted pumpkin seeds cannot be stored for a long time, as they quickly deteriorate and lose all their nutritional and taste qualities.

If necessary, a large amount of roasted seeds should be divided into several parts. Then place them in fabric bags and hang them in a place that is constantly ventilated. The temperature should be moderate; other temperatures will promote the appearance of mold.

Conclusion

Roasting pumpkin seeds to keep them healthy for the body is not that difficult. But you should not abuse these products, because consuming them in large quantities can cause the opposite effect in the body.