Real questions is how to deshell pumpkin seeds?
The usefulness of the pumpkin is a well-known fact. Many people like to use its pulp for cooking various dishes. But not everyone knows that the vegetable contains another useful element. If you peel the pumpkin seeds from the skin and consume them in the right form, you can enrich your body with many vitamins.
Choosing the seeds
Much depends on the quality of the product. It is better to plant pumpkin and grow it yourself, without the use of chemical fertilizers. The seeds collected from such a crop will be the richest in such useful trace elements as vitamin E, vitamin B group, as well as A, C, D, zinc and potassium.
When choosing seeds, pay attention to a few important points:
They should be well cleaned of pulp and mucus residue. To check this, simply moisten your fingers with water and take one in your hands – it should not slip out. If this happens, but the seller insists on the quality of the product – don’t believe it, they are not well preserved, because this slippery film does not let air in, and they will stink over time;
For cleaning, they must be well dried and with a hard shell;
one more way to check: take a handful of seeds and smell them: if they are already roasted, they will have a specific smell and cause an unpleasant taste when eating.
Harvesting the seeds
By following these tips, you can easily dry seeds at home quickly and properly:
Take the pumpkin, it must be clean;
Cut the fruit in half, using a knife with a large blade;
Take out the seeds and put them in a colander;
under running water, rinse them thoroughly and clean them of pulp and residual mucus;
let the moisture drain off or dry them on a towel;
Transfer the seeds to a tray or other flat, dry surface and leave to dry in a well-ventilated area near a heat source (such as near a radiator).
Removing the husks from a single seed
This method can be used if you need only one handful for cooking some dish. In this case you need to take the following steps:
take scissors and, holding the seed by the thickened edge, carefully cut off the joints of the sides in the direction of the spout;
turn the seed with the cut part downwards and remove the kernel;
Repeat the manipulation with the desired amount of product.
Cleaning a large amount
When you need to peel a lot of seeds, the following method is effective::
dry seeds lay out on a table (it is better to take a large size);
With a rolling pin gently press the seeds so that the husk is cracked or even opened, and the kernels are not damaged;
place seeds in a pot and pour water at the rate of 2 glasses of liquid per 1 cup of product;
Boil for 20-30 minutes (depending on how quickly the skin comes off the seed);
After that, remove the husks;
At the bottom there are clean kernels. We put them on a colander and cool under running water;
Repeat the drying procedure, but without the skin.
Pumpkin seeds in the diet
Pumpkin kernels are not a permanent product in our diet. Most will prefer sunflower seeds or simply do without them. In fact, they are very useful, especially for the female body, because they contain healthy fats. The condition of our hair, skin and nails depends on them.
Having decided on their own or by prescription of a doctor to use sunflower seeds for therapeutic and prophylactic purposes, remember that the daily rate is 10 grams, provided that there are no problems with the digestive system. For this purpose, raw kernels are better suited. You can increase the benefits and add a pleasant taste by mixing them with honey.