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Pumpkin seed butter

Sat 06 Nov 2021 23:21:32 PDT
Alternatives to peanut and other nut butters are hard to find in a typical grocery. Many stores sell sunflower seed butter but generally that's the extent of it.

Pumpkin seed butter is a very worthy replacement for nut butters. Particularly so for those who don't tolerate (or shouldn't consume) nuts. Yet pumpkin seed butter is rarely found in markets (even upscale ones) which means we have to make it ourselves.

Fortunately it isn't difficult at all with modern kitchen equipment. Of course we're talking about food processors which most home cooks already have. For the purpose of this recipe even the most basic machine is all that's necessary.

There are two types of pumpkin seed sources: raw and pre-roasted. Raw seeds are about half the price of already roasted, but more steps are needed. In either case it's important to get unsalted seeds.

Ingredients:

  • pumpkin seeds, raw or roasted 1½-2 cups (8-12oz)
Roasting (if using raw seeds):
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Spread pumpkin seeds on a large cookie sheet in an even layer.
  3. Roast for 10-15 min, turning every 5 min. Color should be golden brown.
  4. Let seeds cool to room temperature before processing.
Processing:
  1. If seeds were roasted, let cool to room temp. Place seeds in a food processor or high-powered blender. Small processors are limited to about 1½ cups/8oz. (Larger capacity units could possibly handle 2 cups/~12oz or more. Check manufacturer's information.)
  2. Turn processor on. Watch closely, if partially ground seeds accumulate on the sides it may be necessary to turn machine off and scrape the contents off the walls of the bowl.
  3. Continue processing until the seeds are ground very finely. As the product becomes smooth seed oil is released and the seed butter starts to become more fluid.
  4. Processing takes around 5-10 minutes depending on the food processor and characteristics of the seeds.
  5. When the product reaches a very smooth and fluid consistency pack the finished seed butter in a container with a good lid. Like other seed butters, stored air-tight it can last for weeks.
The color of pumpkin seed butter reflects the look of the seeds. Typically raw pumpkin seeds are medium to dark green, slightly darker when roasted. (Light-colored varieties are sometimes available, sprouted seeds may be a lighter shade.) Consequently most batches of pumpkin seed butter have a dull green to green-black appearance. Compared to nut butters this might be considered unusual or unexpected. Of course the taste and nutritional benefit of your personally crafted pumpkin seed butter are anything but inferior to the competition.
Revised: 2021-11-06. Prior version: 2017-10-08 15:13:28
Categories: seasonings

About Thinair Recipes

Recipes developed with low-sodium diets in mind—so easy to use!

Here's a quick guide:
Recipes have one or more “boxed” ingredient lists grouped with step-by-step instructions, for example:

  • garlic, chopped 3 cloves
  • chicken stock 2 cups
  • ...other ingredients...
  1. Saute garlic in oil until soft.
  2. Add chicken stock to pan...
  3. ...next step...

Ingredient boxes show what you'll need for the numbered steps. Not too complicated!

BTW “salt” in our recipes refers to salt substitute, i.e., potassium chloride, KCl. (Since KCl may not be healthy for some people, ask your doctor if it's OK for you to use it.)

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