My Seedy Life

[JanetGroene]

I recently saw a recipe for Papaya Seed Salad Dressing. I didn't know the seeds were edible. Educate me, please. I have not been able to get the hang of preparing pumpkin seeds and today I threw away a lot of butternut squash seeds that look plump and possibly edible. When a peach seed bursts open I eat the almond-like seed inside although I guess there is some debate about its safety. I eat cucumber seeds even if they are fairly well developed. Can we start a thread about things we are throwing away when we could be eating them? Please provide info on how to prepare or what parts to eat. How about things we should never eat even though they are part of an edible product?

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by JanetGroene

How about things we should never eat?

An exterior husk of styrofoam, waxed paper or cardboard is usually a good sign that the contents are harmful to humans.

There are some exceptions, like Indian or Thai take-out.

Ok, I got nuttin... except for this.

[Seaworthy Lass]

Pumpkin seeds are easy to prepare. Just quickly rinse the orange stringy bits off, pat dry, toss in a little olive oil and bake on non stick paper in a slow oven about 20-30 minutes.

They can be sun dried, but unless dried reasonably quickly they will go mouldy.

Regarding things we shouldn't eat that is part of something edible, rhubarb leaves spring to mind.

[Katiusha]

Originally Posted by Seaworthy Lass

Pumpkin seeds are easy to prepare. Just quickly rinse the orange stringy bits off, pat dry, toss in a little olive oil and bake on non stick paper in a slow oven about 20-30 minutes.

They can be sun dried, but unless dried reasonably quickly they will go mouldy.

Regarding things we shouldn't eat that is part of something edible, rhubarb leaves spring to mind.

I don't add olive oil to pumpkin seeds, just clean, then stick in the oven on slowest setting for 1 hour then switch off and let them sit for a while there. Check and if still moist, do another round.

I find that the easiest way to clean orange stuff is under water in a bowl.

[CatInHand]

Any squash seeds can be cleaned and roasted that way.

I think papaya seeds taste a bit peppery and make a good glaze for steak.

I've never eaten peach pits, but the little seed inside apricot pits is quite tasty. If you're making apricot jam you can throw in a handful of the seeds crunched up a little. They taste like almonds.

Orange peels, any citrus peel, really can be added in small quantities for flavor, or boiled with sugar to make incredibly tart candied citrus peel.

Watermelon rind can be pickled.

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by CatInHand

...the little seed inside apricot pits is quite tasty.

Lots of debate about apricot kernels. They contain a chemical that converts in our stomachs to cyanide. Safe limit per day really isn't known.
It has been proposed that they may have cancer fighting properties if the cyanide doesn't get to you first LOL.

I use a few in each batch of apricot jam I make (whole) for the lovely almondy flavour, but wouldn't just munch on them .

[CatInHand]

When I lived in Armenia (Peace Corps), no one ever threw away an apricot pit without first eating the seed. The best jams have seeds in them, I have eaten hundreds of apricot kernels, and the Armenians have been eating them their entire lives, even very small children.

[JanetGroene]

After roasting pumpkin seeds as described above do you eat the whole thing or do they pop open and reveal and edible seed inside? Ditto squash seeds.

[CatInHand]

I crunch through the whole thing. Some types of squash seeds are really tough and kind of like chewing a branch, so those would probably be better to break open.