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Ohio

Can I get a few good ways on drying Pumpkin seeds, Im sure there is a few ways to do it. I tried drying seeds out of my 170 Pounder, I washed them off in a strainer with water but didnt dry them, I just put them on a old window screen and put them in my basement where it was cool and dry. It didnt work to good, Some of my seeds ended up having a foul oder and turned dark brown. Maybe i didnt get the Pumpkin Juice complety off the seeds, or maybe my basement was too cool, I dunno, Would like to get some ideas so i can do this correctly.
Thanks,Brooks

8/19/2004 9:56:08 PM

[email protected]

Wash them well & get as much of the gook off them. This is tedious work but it has to be done.

The window screen is a good idea. Just make sure the seeds are loosely spaced so they're not sitting on each other. We're after air circulatioin here.

Basements are usually humid. Run a dehumidifier or consider another area. Keeping a fan running on them helps too.

Some growers rinse the seeds in dilute bleach or peroxide. This would help if you had a lot of seeds to clean & not enough space to do it in.

Consider building a drying rack if there are more seeds coming. 4 foot square wooden frames made from 1x2 stock with window screen stapled to them. Attach corner spacers with drywall screws so a gap exists between each frame once they're stacked. Set it near the dehumidifier & run a small fan 24/7.

8/19/2004 10:13:49 PM

South Western Pa

I’m not too tedious. I wash them and get rid of the big chunks of goo. Then I put a little captan and Clorox in the water. Let them soak a few minutes. Then put them on wax paper in old pizza boxes and let them air dry in my garage for a couple weeks. Turn them once or twice in that time.

8/19/2004 10:19:14 PM

Western Pa.

They also dry rather well on top of the refrigerator.(It's warm up there!)

8/20/2004 8:35:02 AM

Western NY

i've never washed them. i just spread them out on an old screen from a screen door. keep them dry for a week or two in the attic. then i peel the "skins" off them when i'm watching tv during the evenings. then dry them for another week or so. that's it.

8/20/2004 8:54:14 AM

Indiana

a dehydrator works great.

8/20/2004 9:07:48 AM

Whidbey Island

Amen, Moondog.

8/20/2004 9:27:50 AM

C N Y

yes, a food dehydrator. buy one and you will never be sorry that you did.
lowest setting, 90-95 degrees, for 3-4 days continuous and you are done with that pile of seeds! this speed cuts waaaaay back on the possibility of rot or fungus or.....

8/20/2004 7:49:55 PM

Ohio

I ahve a food Dehydrator!!! Never thought of that, THANKS!!

8/21/2004 11:21:52 AM

Ohio

and have also

8/21/2004 11:22:40 AM