How To Roast Seeds After A Pumpkin Patch Visit In Boulder County

BOULDER COUNTY, CO — The holidays, including Halloween, will look very different this year thanks to the coronavirus. However, some quintessential fall activities such as visiting pumpkin patches in Boulder County and carving jack-o’-lanterns will stay the same.

In 2020, more people are cooking at home and trying to maximize every penny spent. Here’s a simple way to keep that up: Don’t toss out those pumpkin seeds. Instead, turn them into a delicious snack.

First, pick up a pumpkin from the local pumpkin patch.

Anderson Farms

Address: 6728 County Road 3-1/4, Erie
Season opening/closing dates: Sept. 25 to Oct. 31
Attractions: Pumpkin patch rides, 25-acre corn maze, pedal karts, farm animals, roller slides, rainbow maze, Fort A-Lota-Fun, combine slide
Hours: Monday and Wednesday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Thursday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. (Note: the farm's pumpkin patch closes at dusk)
Pricing: Fall Festival tickets are $12; Kids under 3 get in free.
Phone: 303-828-5210
Website: andersonfarms.com

Munson Farms

Address: 7355 Valmont Road, Boulder
Season opening/closing dates: Sept. 15 to Oct. 31
Attractions: Hay rides, corn maze
Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily
Pricing: Free admission
Phone: 1-415-298-1500
Website: Munsonfarms.com

Cottonwood Farms Pumpkin Patch

Address: 10600 Isabelle Rd., Lafayette
Season opening/closing dates: Open every day from Sept. 26 to Oct. 31
Attractions: Corn and straw maze, wagon rides on weekends
Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily
Pricing: $5 per person, kids under 5 and those over 65 get in free
Phone: 720-890-4766
Website: Cottonwoodfarms.com

7th Generation Farm

Address: 1536 Courtesy Road, Louisville
Season opening/closing dates: Oct. 1 to Oct. 31
Attractions: Hay Bale Maze, Big Bale Hay Mountain, farm animals, pumpkin painting, Tractor Hay Rides
Hours: Friday - 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday - 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Closed Sunday through Thursday
Pricing: Free admission
Phone: 1-720-841-3836
Website: 7thgenerationfarm.com

Rocky Mountain Pumpkin Patch

Address: 9059 Ute Hwy/CO 66
Season opening/closing dates: Oct. 3 to Oct. 31
Attractions: Pony rides, Petting Zoo, Hay Maze, Animal Train Car Ride, Cornstalk Tunnel, Inflatable Obstacle Course, Dragon Roller Coaster, Tumble Bubbles, Paint a Pumpkin
Hours: Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Pricing: Free admission; pay per activity
Phone: 303-684-0087
Website: www.rockymtnpumpkinranch.com.

The Bee Hugger

Address: 12590 Ute Hwy, Longmont
Season opening/closing dates: Oct. 5 to Oct. 31
Attractions: Hayride, Haunted VW Bug Yard, sunflower field, animal feeding, miniature horse rides (approximately 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily
Pricing: Free admission; some activities have a fee.
Phone: 303-330-8277
Website: The Bee Hugger Facebook page only

After you gut the pumpkin for carving, keep the seeds in a bag until you are ready to roast them. Pumpkin seeds are loaded with potassium, packed with fiber and protein, and are the perfect snack to serve your little ghosts and goblins.

Here’s our favorite recipe for baking seeds:

Separate the seeds in a bowl as you clean each pumpkin. Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Rinse the seeds in cold water and strain. Pat seeds dry with a paper towel. In a bowl, toss the seeds in just enough olive oil to coat.

Spray an edged baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and spread seeds in a single layer. Season seeds with kosher salt to taste. Bake for 30-40 minutes.

Let cool and enjoy. Seal leftovers in an airtight plastic container.

Ingredients:

• Pumpkin seeds
• Olive oil
• Sea salt

Make Your Jack-O’-Lanterns Last

When you carve that perfect pumpkin, you can plan on it lasting up to 10 days before it starts to show signs of aging. However, if you want to make it last longer, you can mix three teaspoons of bleach with 3 gallons of water and spray the solution throughout, according to Clorox.