The Genius Roasted Pumpkin Seed Hack I've Been Using For Years

Happy Halloween season! With the spookiest day of the year less than a week away, front porches everywhere have become display cases for jack-o-lantern creations.

I am not the carver in my house, that honor is reserved for Dad, with the little guy's help. My job? To ensure all the gooey guts get separated from the seeds to be roasted to brown, salty perfection.

Before I grab the roasting pan, oil and salt, there is another kitchen gadget I make sure is ready to go. My salad spinner! I've been using it to make great roasted pumpkin seeds since my college-age kid was little. Here's what you need to know.

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What is a salad spinner?

Don't feel bad if you have no idea what I'm talking about. I'm 100% confident you're not alone. A salad spinner is a kitchen tool used to wash and remove excess liquid from lettuce and other salad greens.

Salad spinners are usually plastic and have a large outer bowl with a  smaller colander inside. The lid includes a spinning mechanism, which you press to spin the colander, forcing the liquid into the outer bowl. The greens come out dry so that the dressing will cling to them.

Related: 55 Best Fall Salad Recipes

How To Use a Salad Spinner To Prep Pumpkin Seeds

So your pumpkin is carved and you have this big bowl of slimy pulp and seeds. If you're like me, the easiest way to separate them is to wash them under cold water, using your fingers to pull the seeds away from the flesh.

This is where the salad spinner comes in. I load the colander insert with the wet seeds and any small pieces of pulp that didn't come off the first time. I spin them, just like I do lettuce, for a few minutes. The water drains away, and sometimes even the pieces of orange goo fall away too. The seeds are dry and ready for oil, seasonings and roasting. Pro Tip: Don't worry if all of the pulp doesn't fall away. I leave a little attached to the seeds because it adds flavor to the seeds and comes out tasting nutty and delicious too! Think roasted squash!

Related: 40 Sweet and Savory Pumpkin Recipes For Fall

Do pumpkin seeds have to be dry before roasting them?

Definitely! If you try to add any oil or seasonings to wet pumpkin seeds, nothing will stick to them and they turn into a soggy mess. If you want golden, crunchy, flavorful seeds, they have to be dry before cooking—and a salad spinner is a great tool to do just that.

Related: 30 Best Pumpkin Seed Recipes That Go Beyond Just Roasting

This Halloween I hope your jack-o-lanterns are the cutest (or spookiest) on the block. But most of all I hope you end up with delicious, tasty pumpkin seeds to snack on while the kids tear into their candy bags. Just remember that your salad spinner is your new pumpkin BFF!