The pumpkin seed comes from the vegetable of the same name, which was cultivated with other varieties of squash around 5,500 years ago in Mexico and other parts of America. The indigenous populations of North America cultivated pumpkins along with beans and corn, calling them the “three sisters”. The plant is traditionally used for medicinal purposes in several countries, including China, Pakistan, India, Yugoslavia, Argentina, Mexico and Brazil.
Farinart’s pumpkin seeds come from qualified sources, carefully cultivated to guarantee exceptional purity and optimal nutritional benefits.
Once shelled, pumpkin seeds are flat and dark green in color. They are available as whole seeds, crushed, roasted, sprouted and ground into flour. Our pumpkin seeds can be obtained from conventional or organic farming and are GMO-free.
Pumpkin seeds have a soft texture, a rich, slightly sweet hazelnut taste and a green color. Whole or cracked, pumpkin seeds are used as a filling or as an inclusion in bread and brioche dough. Pumpkin seed flour can be used in the formulation of various products for the baking industry. Its use in cake recipes (replacing 33, 50 and 100% wheat flour) has been reported to increase firmness and moisture retention. Replacing wheat flour with 33% pumpkin seed flour resulted in muffins with better sensory properties (flavor and texture), as well as an improved nutritional profile.
The high nutritional value of pumpkin seed makes it a very interesting food from a nutritional point of view. It is rich in fat, protein, carbohydrates and fiber. Pumpkin seeds are among the richest in protein (approximately 30% of their weight in protein), and contain all the essential amino acids. They contain significant amounts of potassium and phosphorus, as well as being a source of iron, copper, manganese, zinc, omega-3 and omega-6, bioactive peptides, carotenoids, phytosterols, squalenes, B-complex vitamins and vitamin E.
