How To Roast Seeds After A Pumpkin Patch Visit In Georgetown Area

GEORGETOWN, D.C. — 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 Georgetown 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.

Fall-O-Ween Park Bonanza, The Park at LeDroit, 3rd Street and Elm Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001
Season opening date: Saturday, Oct. 26
Attractions: Enjoy the fall season with food, drinks and pick-your-own pumpkins at the newly renovated Park at LeDroit. Come in costume — dogs, too!
Hours: 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Pricing: Free
Website: Pumpkin Party

Montpelier Farms Fall Festival, 1720 Crain Highway North, Upper Marlboro, MD 20774
Season opening/closing dates: Sept. 19-Nov. 8
Attractions: Pumpkin Patch, Corn Maze, Pumpkin Bowling, Cub Corral, Pumpkin Chunkin', Duck Races and Gem Stone Mining
Hours: September - Saturdays, 10 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sundays, 11 a.m-7 p.m. October - Fridays, 5-11 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sundays, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; November - Saturdays 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sundays, 11 a.m-7 p.m. Last admission sold one hour before closing.
Pricing: General admission is $12 and children under 2 are free.
Phone: 410-320-0464
Website: 27th Annual Pumpkin Patch

Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill's 27th Annual Pumpkin Patch, 3606 Seminary Road, Alexandria VA
Season opening/closing dates: Oct. 4-31
Attractions: Pumpkins of various sizes are offered with prices starting at $1 and up based on size. In addition, homemade soups, including a vegetarian variety, baked goods and knit wear are also for sale.
Hours: Monday-Friday, 12-6 p.m.; Weekends, 10-6 p.m.
Pricing: Free
Phone: 703-657-0999
Website: http://www.montpelierfarms.com...

DePaul's Urban Farm, 2599 Chain Bridge Road, Vienna, VA 22181
Attractions: Buy seasonal plants, pumpkins, apples and cider.
Hours: Open daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Pricing: Free
Phone: 703-537-0744
Website: DePaul's Urban Farm

Maryland Corn Maze, 389 Gambrills Road, Gambrills, MD 21054
Season opening/closing dates: Sept. 19-Nov. 8
Attractions: Hayrides, pumpkins, petting zoo, kettle corn, corn dogs, corn maze and everything fall.
Hours: Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Pricing: $11-14 Group rates available.
Phone: 240-398-6430
Website: Maryland Corn Maze

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.