Suggested uses

Basic prep

Storage & handling

Store in cool, dry place.

Ingredients

Pumpkin seeds, cottonseed and/or canola oil, salt

Roasted Salted Pumpkin Seed Kernels (also called "Pepitas") are the flat, dark green seeds found inside pumpkins. While available still covered in the off-white husk (frequently misidentified as their "shell"), this version is made by roasting the raw seeds after their husks have been removed to make the most of their smooth, almost creamy texture. After roasting they are salted to make them even more palatable. The word "pepita" is Spanish for "squash's little seed" and is frequently used to refer to these seeds whether or not the husk has been removed.

Pepitas are often thought of as a nutritious snack, as they are a good source of protein and contain various minerals.

Pumpkins are part of the gourd (or Curcurbitaceae) family and, as such, are related to other edible gourds including all sorts of squash but also cantaloupe, watermelon and even cucumbers.

Pumpkins and many of their gourd relatives are native to North and South America. They have been a staple food source since pre-agricultural times throughout both contents, at least as far back as the Aztec civilization in South America 3,500 years ago. After the European conquest of the Americas pumpkin cultivation spread throughout Europe through the Mediterranean and the Indian subcontinent into Asia.