Have you ever had a huge zucchini that you didn't know quite what to do with? Roasted zucchini seeds are the delicious answer!!
With our garden producing 14 pound zucchinis at a record pace this summer, I ended up doing a lot of experimentation with new ways to use zucchini.
After I had gone through all of the 65 ways I'd found to use zucchini, I got to thinking that maybe I was done with zucchini for this year. I mean, after all, how much zucchini can one family eat (ahem, turns out to be a lot!!).
So I started collecting the seeds from some of our larger zucchini to save for next year and thought that would be the end of it.
But as you can imagine, the idea of tossing out perfectly good zucchini just because we were getting tired of it didn't quite sit well with me.
After all, I am the person who freezes avocados when I find them on sale, turns every brown banana into bread, and even freezes milk by the cup so as not to waste anything!!
With all those seeds staring me in the face, and knowing full well that I would never be able to plant them all, I decided to experiment with roasting the zucchini seeds!
Roasted Zucchini Seeds
Very little experimentation was required, however, and my first attempt was a smashing success!!
I ended up cracking open the rest of the zucchini for their seeds and using the rest of the large vegetable for our favorite Strawberry Zucchini Fruit Leather recipe!
If you love pumpkin seeds, then you will love roasted zucchini seeds! They have the same texture as a pumpkin seeds, but have an almost peanut like flavor. Delicious!
The steps for roasting zucchini seeds are very similar to the process for roasting pumpkin seeds... once you get the seeds out of the zucchini that is!
Step 1
Find a large zucchini with a yellow underbelly. This insures that the seeds are mature enough to be harvested for roasting. Otherwise the seeds are small and soft still.
Step 2
Cut off both ends and slice into the zucchini lengthwise, about 1 inch. This keeps the seeds intact inside the zucchini.
Step 3
Pry open the zucchini. This may require a little finesse, depending on how ornery the zucchini decides to be....
Step 4
Once you have the zucchini open, scoop out the pulp and massage the seeds out of the meat. Set aside the rest of the zucchini for another zucchini recipe - like one of these!
Step 5
In a large pot, cover zucchini seeds with water and bring to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes.
Step 6
Strain the seeds and place on a lined baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 30-45 minutes, or until golden brown. Stir halfway to avoid burning.
Note: If you'd like to season the seeds prior to roasting, do so when you put them on the tray. See seasoning notes below.
Step 7
Remove tray from oven and either eat right away, or allow seeds to cool completely for storage. Store in an air tight container for up to 3 weeks.
You can watch the full tutorial here!
Seasoning Your Roasted Zucchini Seeds
While we like to eat our zucchini seeds plain, I'm sure there are many people who would find that a bit boring! So, if you're interested in seasoning your roasted zucchini seeds, here are a few guidelines.
Oils
Make sure you use an fat or oil to go alone with your seasoning. This can be butter, olive oil, bacon grease, coconut oil, or whatever else you can think of.
Place the seeds in a bowl or a bag right out of the boiling water and add the fat/oil to the bag. Top it with the spices you're using and mix.
From there you can continue with the roasting process.
Seasonings
These can be just about as versatile as you want! You can go with a classic plain salt option, or kick it up with chili and lime, or even cinnamon and sugar!
I'd go with about a teaspoon or 2 of total seasonings per cup of seeds to start and then go from there! Enjoy!
Do you munch on the whole seed or does it need to be cracked open like sunflower seeds?
Hi Nancy! Great question! Just eat them whole. I tried cracking them open, but they are more like pumpkin seeds than sunflower seeds, so there wasn’t much meat there.
Why must they be boiled?
Hi Laurie, it makes them crispier when baked :-)
Thanks! I don’t have a garden anymore but occasionally receive extra large zucchinis from others who do and now I have a way to use them! I’ll check out your other zucchini recipes too.
Do you know the calorie and fat content of zucchini and summer squash seeds without oils or fats?
Hi Becky, I haven’t been able to find that information about the zucchini seeds specifically. However, I would imagine they are similar to pumpkin seeds!