How To Roast Seeds After A Pumpkin Patch Visit In SD County
SAN DIEGO, CA — The holidays, including Halloween, will look very different this year thanks to the coronavirus. However, some quintessential fall activities such as visiting pumpkin patches in San Diego County 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 a local pumpkin patch.
Bates Nut Farm
Address: 15954 Woods Valley Road, Valley Center
Season opening/closing dates: Sept. 19-Oct. 31
Hours: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Admission: admission is free; $5 parking per car on weekends in October (cash only)
Activities: petting corral, pony rides, straw maze, tractor hayrides
Website: batesnutfarm.biz
Carlsbad Strawberry Company's Pumpkin Patch
Address: 1050 Cannon Road, Carlsbad
Season opening/closing dates: Sept. 18-Nov. 8
Hours: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily
Admission: admission is $5; children 5 and younger are free
Activities: corn maze (regular and haunted), apple canons, tractor ride
Julian Farm and Orchard's Pumpkin Patch
Address: 4381 Highway 78, Santa Ysabel
Season opening/closing dates: Sept. 19-Oct. 25
Hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Thursday and Friday (farm open for pumpkin picking only); 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Admission: admission is $1 per person on weekdays; each person (3 and older) must purchase a minimum of 10 tickets ($1 per ticket) on weekends
Activities: animal visits, axe throwing, cider pressing, hayrides (activities on weekends only)
Website: julianminingcompany.com
Mountain Valley Ranch's Pumpkin Patch
Address: 842 Highway 78, Ramona
Season opening/closing dates: Sept. 26-Oct. 31
Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily
Admission: admission is free
Activities: corn maze, corn cannon, petting zoo, pony rides
Website: mountainvalleyranch.com
Mr. Jack O' Lanterns Pumpkin Patch
Address: 6710 La Jolla Blvd., La Jolla
Season opening/closing dates: Oct. 3-31.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday
Admission: admission is free
Activities: bounce houses, haunted maze, pumpkin decorating station
Website: mrjackolanternspumpkins.com
Oma's Pumpkin Patch
Address: 14950 El Monte Road, Lakeside
Season opening/closing dates: Sept. 29-Oct. 31
Hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday
Admission: $14.50 per child on weekdays and $16.50 per child on Saturdays; children under 2 are free; $8.50 per adult (14 and older) on weekdays and $10.50 per adult on Saturdays. All tickets, including tickets for the wagon ride, must be purchased online prior to arrival. No tickets will be sold on-site.
Activities: petting corral, play area and playground, Cottonseed Mountain, sand pile with toy trucks and tractors, pedal cart/tricycle race track, giant slides, wagon ride
Website: omasfamilyfarm.com
PB Pumpkin Patch
Address: 870 Garnet Avenue, Pacific Beach, San Diego
Season opening/closing dates: Oct. 1-31
Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Admission: admission is free
Activities: pumpkin carving and painting area
Website: pbpumpkinpatch.com
Pumpkin Station: Bonita
Address: 5354 Sweetwater Road, Bonita
Season opening/closing dates: Oct. 1-31
Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 1-16; 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Oct. 17-31
Admission: admission and parking are free
Activities: corn maze, petting zoo, train ride, tractor hay-wagon, cut-your-own sunflowers
Website: pumpkinstation.com
Pumpkin Station: Mission Valley
Address: 1640 1/2 Camino Del Rio, San Diego
Season opening/closing dates: Oct. 1-31
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday through Sunday
Admission: admission and parking are free
Activities: petting zoo, various rides, including Ferris wheel and train ride
Website: pumpkinstation.com
Pumpkin Station: Rancho Bernardo
Address: 13421 Highland Valley Road, Escondido
Season opening/closing dates: Oct. 1-31
Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 1-16; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 17-31
Admission: admission and parking are free
Activities: corn maze, petting zoo, tractor hay-wagon, cut-your-own sunflowers
Website: pumpkinstation.com
Summers Past Farms' Pumpkin Patch
Address: 15602 Olde Highway 80, Flinn Springs
Season opening/closing dates: Sept. 25-Oct. 31
Hours: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday
Admission: admission is free
Website: summerspastfarms.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.
This article originally appeared on the San Diego Patch
