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Winter squash is a wonderfully versatile food that is easy to grow, easy to store and easy to cook. The whole squash can be used, including the seeds, and often winter squashes are available at great prices, making them an amazing budget friendly food.
In the Fall, I’ll often plan our family’s meals for the week around a large winter squash since one large squash (like a cushaw) since it can be a side dish on its own, a base for soups, pureed in smoothies and even the seeds can be roasted for a snack!
What is a Cushaw?
Cushaw squash are my personal favorite winter squash because of their large size (about 20 pounds) and inexpensive price (I get them locally for about $4.00 at a local farm). They can be hard to find in regular stores, but check with local farmers and gardeners to find them where you live.
If you do succeed in finding a good local Cushaw squash, save some of the seeds before you roast the rest! Cushaw are easy to grow but difficult to find seeds for, so save them if you find them! To save: pull out the desired number of seeds and let dry in open air on a clean cloth. When fully dry, store in an envelope for planting the next year.
If you have a few feet of extra space in your backyard that gets a little sun, you can easily grow a cushaw patch and let your children help! These squash are a great substitute for pumpkin or any other winter squash and your children will have a blast growing them.
Like all winter squash, they store easily in a cool place in your home or they can be chopped, sliced, or pureed to freeze for later use.
How to Roast Winter Squash Seeds
Winter squash seeds are a good source of magnesium, copper, manganese, potassium and other nutrients. Though they often get thrown away when preparing a recipe, they are a wonderful nutrient-packed snack and you can make them sweet (add honey and cinnamon) or savory (add salt herbs). One cup of roasted squash seeds has about 12 grams of protein (give or take, depending on the variety).
If you have kids, let them help you make this simple recipe and enjoy it as a family!
Roasted Winter Squash Seed Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup winter squash seeds rinsed
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp olive oil
- sprinkle each of salt garlic powder, and paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Bring water to a boil on the stove.
- Add the 1 teaspoon salt and seeds and simmer for 10 minute. This process makes them more easily digestible.
- Remove seeds from water and dry.
- Spread seeds on a baking sheet.
- Drizzle with olive oil and stir to coat.
- Sprinkle with salt, garlic powder, and paprika.
- Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
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Ever roasted squash seeds? How did they turn out? Share below!
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I was wondering the exact same thing. Do you pry them open with your fingers and eat the inside or what?
When roasted like this you eat the entire seed. I make them for my preK class every year after we carve pumpkins.
This might be a silly question , but do vegetable seeds have phytic acid?
I roast all kinds of squash seeds! Apparently you can roast cantaloupe seeds too, but I’ve never tried it.
This is probably a dumb question…but how do you eat these seeds? I always find pumpkin seeds so tough to eat. Are these actually edible or is there a special trick I’m missing? 😉
do you think you can roast spaghetti squash or butternut squash seeds too?
Is there any harm/good to not washing your seeds first? My mom never washed them, and we find the pumpkin “guts” to be delicious after they’ve been roasted!
You should post a picture of a whole cushaw squash!