The Spanish word for pumpkin and other large forms of squash seeds is pepitas, which is short for pepitas de calabaza. Pepitas are frequently consumed as snacks, a versatile garnish for various dishes, and even used to produce cooking oil in Mexican cuisine. The seeds of pumpkins and other sizable members of the Cucurbita genus of squash are known as pepitas. When North Americans scoop the flesh and seeds from their field pumpkins to make jack-o'-lanterns for Halloween, they most frequently come upon a type of pepita. In fact, these pumpkin seeds can be washed, roasted, and consumed whole. But the true treat is found inside these white shells, where one can find green, nutty seeds.
Green pepitas are not the seeds of the common field pumpkin, which are grown only for Halloween decorations, even though they are commercially prepared in a variety of ways. Instead, these pepitas come from various squash varieties that are grown for their seeds only. In fact, some cultivars completely lack shells.
How they are different from pumpkin seeds
We will differentiate between pepitas, which are the green seed without the hull, and pumpkin seeds, which are complete seeds with the hull still on. The term hulled can apply to both a seed with the hull still on and a seed with the hull removed, which can be misleading.
In any case, the hull or shell of a pumpkin seed is a thick, white one. In the same way that peanut and sunflower seed shells are technically edible, this shell is also edible. In other words, they are safe to chew and swallow. But that does not imply that doing so is enjoyable—at least not for the majority of people. You'll eventually become weary of chewing on what feels like a mouthful of wood after that.
When carving a pumpkin at home, it is regrettably quite challenging and time-consuming to remove the shells from your pumpkin seeds. Therefore, if you want to eat pumpkin seeds, you must clean, dry, and roast them yourself at home. They must also be eaten intact.
It's feasible, but not required, to use your teeth to shatter each seed open and remove the green pepita within if you become an expert. Because raw and roasted green pepitas are available with the hulls removed. Additionally, they are manufactured from cultivars specifically designed to produce edible seeds rather than from common field pumpkins, which are not bred for eating.
Pepitas Uses
The green pepitas can be used in a variety of ways, unlike entire roasted pumpkin seeds, which are normally consumed as a snack but not much else. Pepitas are an excellent alternative to pine nuts in pesto because of their sweet, nutty flavour and high oil content. They enhance the flavour of breakfast cereals, granolas, and smoothies. They can also be added for flavour and texture to whole-wheat bread doughs or muffin batters, or even substituted for other nuts in desserts and confections like brittle. Salads, rice pilafs, burritos, tacos, and many other recipes that benefit from a satisfying crunch are also excellent dishes to add pepitas to.
Pepitas Taste
With their sweet, nutty flavour, green pepitas go well with almost anything, from salads and soups to major dishes and desserts. Pepitas resemble sunflower seeds in size, density, and oil content. They also have a similar flavour, however pepitas are larger and nuttier than sunflower seeds.