Why You Should Be Roasting Your Cantaloupe Seeds

You already know how to pick a ripe melon with your eyes closed (literally) and you definitely know how to eat the fruit (yes, with a little salt on it), but are you letting your cantaloupe reach its full potential? Well, if you’re not roasting the seeds, then you may be falling short. Here’s how to make a delicious cantaloupe-seed snack.

Cut your ripe cantaloupe in half. Just like you normally would. But before you dig into the fruit, grab a big spoon and scoop the seeds out into bowl.

Get a little messy. A lot of the seeds will still be connected to the flesh, so try to break loose as many of the seeds as you can. (Tip: Squeezing it in your hand helps loosen them up.)

Rinse away. Run your seeds under water to remove as much of the fruit as possible, but it’s OK if some remains since it will just dry out in the oven.

Season to perfection. In a bowl, coat the seeds in olive oil and salt to your liking. You can play around with other seasonings, too, like smoked paprika and cayenne pepper or even cinnamon and sugar.

Roast away. Spread them out on a baking sheet lined with tinfoil and bake for 20 to 40 minutes at 325°F. (Check every five minutes to make sure they’re not burning.)

Let cool and enjoy. Heads up: These babies are a little chewier than pumpkin seeds but a fun summer snack nonetheless.