How To Roast Seeds After Pumpkin Patch Visit In Deerfield

DEERFIELD — The holidays, including Halloween, will look very different this year thanks to the coronavirus. However, some quintessential fall activities such as visiting pumpkin patches near Deerfield and carving jack-o’-lanterns will stay the same.

In 2020, more people are cooking at home and trying to maximize every penny spent. Here’s a simple way to keep that up: Don’t toss out those pumpkin seeds. Instead, turn them into a delicious snack.

First, pick up a pumpkin from the local pumpkin patch.

Pumpkin Patch: St. Gregory's Episcopal Church

Address: 815 Wilmot Road, Deerfield
Season opening: Pumpkins are scheduled to arrive 3 p.m. Sept. 26
Phone: (847) 945-1678
Website: https://www.stgregoryschurch.o...

Pumpkin Patch: Kingswood United Methodist Church
Address: 401 E Dundee Road, Buffalo Grove
Season opening/closing dates: Pumpkins are scheduled to arrive 4 p.m. Oct. 10/Oct. 31
Hours: Noon-6 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. weekends
Phone: 847-398-0770
Website: https://www.kingswoodumc.com/p...

Pumpkin Patch: Didier Farms
Address: 16678 W. Aptakisic Rd., Lincolnshire
Season opening/closing dates: Sept. 19/Oct. 31
Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Phone: 847-634-3291
Attractions: Pumpkinfest offers hayrides, pony rides, camel rides, kiddie rides, craft area, and have an animal land to explore.
Pricing: No admission fee. Tickets can be purchased for rides and activities.
Website: https://didierfarms.com/

Pumpkin Patch: Kroll's Fall Harvest Farm
Address: 13236 W Townline Road, Waukegan
Season opening/closing dates: Sept. 19/Nov. 1
Hours: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. (Monday), Noon-8 p.m. (Tuesday, Wednesday), 10 a.m-8 p.m. (Thursday), 10 a.m.-10 p.m. (Friday, Saturday) and 10 a.m.-7 p.m. (Sunday)
Phone: 847-662-5733
Attractions: Maze and hayride.
Pricing: $7 adults, $5 children (12 and under), Free (2 and under) for maze; $4 per person for hayride, Free (2 and under); $1-$50 for pumpkins, priced by size. Weekends during timed entry for all guests = $10 per person includes hayride, corn maze and animal area.
Website: https://www.krollsfarm.com/

After you gut the pumpkin for carving, keep the seeds in a bag until you are ready to roast them. Pumpkin seeds are loaded with potassium, packed with fiber and protein, and are the perfect snack to serve your little ghosts and goblins.

Here’s our favorite recipe for baking seeds:

Separate the seeds in a bowl as you clean each pumpkin. Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Rinse the seeds in cold water and strain. Pat seeds dry with a paper towel. In a bowl, toss the seeds in just enough olive oil to coat.

Spray an edged baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and spread seeds in a single layer. Season seeds with kosher salt to taste. Bake for 30-40 minutes.

Let cool and enjoy. Seal leftovers in an airtight plastic container.

Ingredients:

• Pumpkin seeds
• Olive oil
• Sea salt

Make Your Jack-O’-Lanterns Last

When you carve that perfect pumpkin, you can plan on it lasting up to 10 days before it starts to show signs of aging. However, if you want to make it last longer, you can mix three teaspoons of bleach with 3 gallons of water and spray the solution throughout, according to Clorox.