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Peeling pumpkin seeds quickly seems like an impossible task to many. People often do not want to just eat them or use them as an additive because of the laborious process of removing the thick shell from the kernels. In some culinary and medicinal recipes, they are present as an additional ingredient, and people go to the store to buy. But if you learn simple secrets, the attitude towards the procedure can change dramatically.
Why pumpkin seeds are poorly cleaned
In some cases, peeling pumpkin seeds is not possible or the process takes a huge amount of time. People stop taking further actions.
This is due to the mistakes that hostesses make:
- Buying a low-quality product. Private sellers or manufacturers often violate the procurement and storage technology, which leads to rotting. This is directly indicated by the smell.
- Wet, poorly washed shells are difficult to clean. It's easy to check. It is enough to squeeze one seed between your fingers. Slip will indicate a marriage.
- If you need to clean raw grains, then you should choose a variety with soft husks.
It is better to harvest the product yourself so as not to run into problems.
Preparing pumpkin seeds for cleaning
It is better to choose a fully ripe large-seeded pumpkin. Then you can choose 2 methods of cutting.
- Cut off the cap of the vegetable with a sharp knife.
- Divide the pumpkin into 2 parts.
For the next step, you must first remove large pieces of pulp.
How to remove the pulp from pumpkin seeds
This is the most crucial moment. Not only the processing speed depends on it, but also the quality of the refined grains.
To remove the pulp from pumpkin seeds, you need to follow these steps:
- place the prepared mixture in a colander;
- rinse with plenty of warm water.
Checking the quality of the work done is easy. Run your dry hand over the pumpkin seeds. If they stick, repeat the procedure.
For drying, it is enough to spread out a sheet covered with parchment paper. It is placed in the sun, covered with a gauze cut from insects. Can be put in a half-open oven, heated to no more than 60 degrees. In this case, the seeds are constantly stirred for uniform processing.
How to peel pumpkin seeds easily
The choice of method will depend on the quality and quantity of the product required.
The most popular pumpkin seed peeling options are:
- If the kernels are required for therapeutic purposes, they should not be fried. Heat treatment can destroy nutrients. Use only well-washed, moist or naturally dried pumpkin seeds. You will need scissors with rounded ends or nail clippers. With their help, they cut off the junction of the sidewalls, remove the nucleolus, holding on to the thick edge.
- To quickly peel small amounts of pumpkin seeds for easy consumption or as a confectionery additive, they must be thoroughly dried or roasted. You can handle a handful with your hands. Press down on the side walls until they snap out.
Cleaning pumpkin seeds at home in large quantities is also not difficult. There are also 2 popular ways to do this:
- Place the product between the layers of baking paper and roll out with a rolling pin. This action is necessary in order only to destroy the shell, and not crush the pumpkin seeds. Next, they need to be poured into a saucepan, filled with water and boiled for about half an hour. The floating husk is collected with a slotted spoon, and the mass is filtered through a sieve.
- If the kernels are harvested for salads or baked goods, then you can crush the pumpkin seeds a little with a coffee grinder. Transfer to water and stir thoroughly. The rind will float up and need to be drained. Repeat the procedure until the liquid becomes clear. Then, together with the mass at the bottom, strain through cheesecloth. Repeat drying.
These methods help to quickly peel pumpkin seeds from the peel, but still some marriage will remain. You will need to fix it manually.
How pumpkin seeds are peeled in production
To prepare pumpkin seeds for further use by businesses or for sale in stores, special installations will be required. The process is also divided into stages, and the productivity reaches up to 250 kg in a short period of time - in just 1 hour.
To peel pumpkin seeds, they are pre-dried and calibrated. Only then do they get into the seed dryer, where the husk is removed. The device also does not cope with the entire product;
Completely peeling pumpkin seeds is obtained using a cyclone, a winnower, and the process is completed by a vibrating table.
Conclusion
It is not so difficult to quickly peel pumpkin seeds from the skin if you choose the right vegetable variety and carry out the necessary preparatory steps. But it is worth knowing that now it is possible to grow the kind of vegetable in which the grains are not covered with a protective shell, which simplifies the preliminary process. It is enough just to thoroughly rinse from the pulp, dry and fry if desired.
