How To Roast Seeds After A Pumpkin Patch Visit In Stamford

STAMFORD, CT — The holidays, including Halloween, will look very different this year thanks to the coronavirus. However, some quintessential fall activities such as visiting pumpkin patches near Stamfordand 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.

• Eden Farms Nursery & Garden Center, 947 Stillwater Road, Stamford. Open daily, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. "Please stop by and visit our extensive inventory of annual plants, perennials, shrubs, shade and evergreen trees, fertilizers, grass seed and mulches. Don't miss our farm stand in the summer and pumpkin patch and hayrides in the fall!"

• Sam Bridge Nursery & Greenhouses LLC, 437 North Street Greenwich. Open Monday - Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. "The Pumpkin Patch is available on a first come, first serve basis. If the patch is at capacity it will be closed until those customers are finished shopping. You may have to wait."

• Outhouse Orchards, 139 Hardscrabble Road, North Salem, NY. Open 7 days a week, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visiting the farm on weekends and/or holidays requires a reservation due to COVID-19 protocols.

• Jones Family Farms, 120 Beardsley Road, Shelton. Open daily, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on weekdays with reservation, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on weekends with reservation.

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.