How to peel pumpkin seeds at home: step by step instructions and tips to make the task easier
The pleasant sweet taste, light crunch, and addictive cleansing process are all about pumpkin seeds. They contain a lot of calcium, which is good for the skin, teeth and nails. They contain vitamins and trace elements necessary for the full functioning of the body. The maximum amount of nutrients is contained in a raw product, but, unfortunately, it will not be possible to store it for a long time. The seeds quickly deteriorate and become unusable.
The best way to extend the shelf life of pumpkin seeds and retain all the beneficial properties is to properly dry them. Roasted sunflower seeds can be bought, but a self-prepared product is much more useful, since the drying process takes place under your control. This article will show you how to dry and peel pumpkin seeds at home.
The content of the article
Selecting seeds and preparing them for drying
There is not always a possibility grow a pumpkin and manual seed processing. Therefore, we will consider the option of buying ready-made ones.
How to choose the right one:
- by smell - if you feel any specific smell, then probably their nuclei are affected by something, they will taste bitter;
- in appearance - the seeds must be thoroughly washed, if they stick, then they are poorly washed;
- by the quality of the peel - if the peel of the fried seeds is soft, they were cooked in violation of the technological process.
Many people choose to get their own pumpkin seeds to avoid a poor quality product.
How to collect pumpkin seeds:
- cut the pumpkin in half;
- take out all the seeds with their hands and remove all the pulp from them;
- wash them in a colander several times;
- when all the moisture has drained off, dab them with a napkin.
Drying methods
It is best to dry seeds outdoors under the influence of the sun - so they will keep all their benefit... But it happens that there is no such possibility or they are needed as soon as possible and in large volumes. Consider drying options other than open air and sun.
In a frying pan
Just dry the seeds in a pan:
- put the pan over medium heat;
- warm it up well and reduce the fire;
- pour dry and clean seeds;
- fry them, stirring constantly (no more than 10 minutes);
- the finished product is left to cool.
In the microwave
When choosing this method, the product must be completely dry.
Procedure:
- spread on a glass dish from the microwave;
- dry at medium power for 3 minutes;
- open the door and mix them;
- turn on medium power and leave for another 3 minutes;
- mix again and repeat the previous point;
- take out the glass dish and leave to cool.
In the oven
Before drying pumpkin seeds in the oven, be sure to rinse them in water.to get rid of the pulp. Then they are dried with a napkin and left to dry completely for several hours (preferably overnight).
The product can be sent to the oven and do not worry that some part will not dry out until the end:
- preheat the oven to 180 ° C;
- line a sheet of parchment on a baking sheet;
- spread the seeds in one layer so that they do not lie on top of each other;
- place the baking sheet in a preheated oven;
- take it out exactly 5 minutes later and mix thoroughly;
- put back in the oven for another 7 minutes;
- Take out the baking sheet and leave to cool.
If the pumpkin seeds are very damp, it is also enough to preheat the oven to 180 ° C, spread the parchment on a baking sheet, distribute the product in an even layer and send to the oven for 7 minutes. Through the pores of the peel, moisture will go away, and the nucleoli will dry out.
In an electric dryer for vegetables and fruits
The seeds are placed on the grate of each level of the dryer in an even layer. The temperature is set at 70 ° C... In order for them to dry out equally, it is necessary to periodically rearrange the gratings in places.
In the airfryer
The blowing power is set to maximum, the heating temperature is set to 70 ° C... Drying time in the airfryer is 40 minutes. The lid of the device is left ajar for better ventilation - then the moist air will have where to go.
Interesting facts about pumpkin seeds:
The harm and benefits of pumpkin seeds for men
How to determine if the seeds are dry
Well-dried ones have a light yellow color, the peel acquires density, and the shape - contour... If you peel one piece, you will notice how easily the film separates from the core. The color of the kernel should be dark green with white dots.
Important! The seed should not taste wet, crunchy or bitter. If these signs are absent, the product is perfectly dried.
How to peel pumpkin seeds
Peeling them is easy. Properly dried seeds easily lose their shell... It is enough to take the seed between your thumb and forefinger and press lightly - the peel will immediately open into two halves.
How to peel raw and roasted pumpkin seeds
Seeds that are fresh and wet are not easy to peel. remember, that when dried, they keep much longer... If you peel seeds raw, eat them right away. Otherwise, they will become moldy, lose their beneficial properties, and turn rancid.
And yet, many people love to gnaw unroasted pumpkin seeds. You can get the nucleolus from raw seeds in this way:
the pumpkin is cut and the seeds are removed;- free seeds from pulp, wash with water in a colander;
- soaked with a napkin, laid out on a baking sheet;
- dry them a little from moisture;
- roll the product lightly with a rolling pin;
- put in a saucepan, pour boiling water (1: 2).
- boil for 30 minutes over low heat.
The skin will rise to the surface and the kernels will remain below... Carefully remove the peel with a spoon, and pour the water with seeds into a colander.
Peeling roasted seeds
When the pumpkin seeds are properly dried, the storage location is selected correctly, you can start using them. There are many recipes with peeled roasted pumpkin seeds added - it will take more than one handful.
Perhaps it will be urbech (a paste of nuts and seeds) or granola (a baked mixture of nuts, seeds, dried fruits). In any case, every housewife should know what cleaning methods exist.
Most an easy and effective way to clean roasted pumpkin seeds in large quantities - using a home blender:
water is poured into a saucepan (1 liter per 0.5 kg of pumpkin seeds), brought to a boil;- pour out the seeds and boil them over low heat under a closed lid for half an hour;
- remove all floating husks with a spoon, pour the water with seeds into a colander;
- wash the seeds from the remnants of the husk;
- dry the seeds.
There are pumpkin varieties whose seeds do not have a peel.... Then you don't have to peel the seeds, you can immediately enjoy the taste and get benefits.
Cleaning in production
In large-scale conditions use special equipment for peeling seeds... This is a large centrifuge that receives clean and washed pumpkin seeds. They are subjected to centrifugal force, hitting the walls of the container.
The skin is damaged and the kernels remain intact.As soon as the husk begins to move away, vibration turns on. The shells rise up and end up in the trash.
Then the peeled seeds go through the first stage again - a centrifuge. After the seeds are washed, dried. Before packing in production, seeds are sorted by hand to check for debris.
Do you need to wash peeled pumpkin seeds?
After self-drying seeds and cleansing them, it is undesirable to moisturize them again, since after that you will have to resort to drying again. Then the useful properties will be much less. In addition, the dried peeled seeds will crumble during washing.
However if you purchased pumpkin seeds from a store, but there is no confidence in their quality, you can put the seeds in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
Storing peeled pumpkin seeds
After drying in the chosen way, it is necessary to determine the place and conditions of storage. The storage area must be dark and dry... The seeds are placed in a cloth bag and hung up so that they are ventilated. Can also be placed in a glass jar, ceramic container, or cardboard box.
there is several important rules for storing pumpkin seeds:
- if there are many of them, then divide them into several parts;
- there should be enough oxygen in the storage room, but high humidity will only hurt;
- there should be no high temperature in the storage area;
- it is undesirable to leave the dried and fried product for storage for a long time.
Cleaning tips
If you are peeling seeds for immediate consumption without treatment and in small quantities, use your own fingers.
If you need more product (for example, over 2 glasses), you should use a blender.
Conclusion
Pumpkin seeds are a healthy and tasty product that is consumed in pure form or used in the preparation of various dishes. It's easy to prepare them at home if you know all the drying options and the basics of proper storage.
Peeled seeds allow you to experiment with homemade recipes - pasta (urbechi), muesli and caramel with nuts and seed kernels will surprise guests and households.