Pumpkin Seed Oil

Pumpkin Seed Oil...

• ...contains chlorophyll.
  Pumpkin seed oil gets its rich green color from a high chlorophyll content. This green plant dye has a beneficial effect on the whole body.
• ...promotes blood formation.
  Pumpkin seed oil is particularly beneficial for vegetarians, who often have poor iron stores. Green foods that contain a lot of chlorophyll, in combination with iron, increase the amount of the red blood pigment haemoglobin faster than iron supplements.
• ...protects the heart.
  Pumpkin seed oil helps prevent against heart cycle illnesses with unsaturated fatty acids that make it super healthy.
• ...stops free radicals.
  Pumpkin seed oil is extremely effective at protecting the body cells against so-called free radicals, i.e. harmful substances that lead to various diseases.
• ...delays aging.
  With its high vitamin E content, pumpkin seed oil is considered an effective natural anti-aging remedy.
• ...should never be heated.
  Pumpkin seed oil should never be heated because it loses its valuable ingredients. Use pumpkin seed oil only in salads and other cold dishes.
• ...is expensive.
  Since pumpkin seed oil is expensive to produce, it costs significantly more than other oils. Inexpensive pumpkin seed oil is mostly tainted and offers little health value.

What You Should Know About Pumpkin Seed Oil

The finest part of the pumpkin is its seeds, and the finest part of its seeds is the oil extracted from them. When cold pressed, it creates a deep green color and spreads an enchanting nutty aroma. Professional chefs like to top salads and starters with pumpkin seed oil, which is too precious for cooking and baking because most of its valuable ingredients would be destroyed.

Cooking with pumpkin seed oil would be quite expensive because a small carafe isn't cheap. This is because the available quantity is limited, since pumpkin seed oil is still pressed in rather small, traditional oil mills. The production is also complex: 30 pumpkins or about 2.5 kilograms of seeds are needed to produce a single liter of oil.

In addition, the seeds can only be extracted from the pulp by hand. This process results in up to 100 seeds per pumpkin, which are then cleaned, washed and dried at 122 degrees F. Only then can they be ground. The resulting "flour" is mixed with water and salt, and then roasted while stirring constantly so the protein contained in the seeds separates from the oil. It's still warm when it enters hydraulic presses that extract every drop of the deep green oil. At the end, the freshly pressed oil is left to stand for a few days until all the cloudy substances have settled on the bottom. Only then is the pumpkin seed oil bottled.

Origin

Until about 40 years ago, pumpkin seed oil was used almost exclusively in the Austrian province of Styria. The deep green pumpkin seed oil from there is the most sought after by connoisseurs for its high quality. This version guarantees 100 percent purity and the highest standards in terms of aroma and ingredients. 

Season

The pumpkins for the fine pumpkin seed oil are harvested in autumn, but pumpkin seed oil itself has no special season. Once washed and dried, pumpkin seeds can be stored for a long time and oil can be pressed from them at any time.

Taste

Thanks to the richness in chlorophyll, the green pumpkin seed oil tastes aromatic and nutty.

Our Favorite Recipes With Pumpkin Seed Oil

Spicy Bean Soup

5

(1)

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110 mins

830 mins

Potato Salad with Oyster Mushrooms and Arugula

5

(1)

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30 mins

60 mins

Pumpkin and Potato Puree

5

(1)

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25 mins

55 mins

247 calories

87

Here you can find all pumpkin seed oil recipes.

How Healthy Is Pumpkin Seed Oil?

The main ingredients of pumpkin seed oil — above all linoleic acid, phytosterols and polyunsaturated fatty acids — can lower cholesterol levels and prevent heart and circulatory diseases. The high content of vitamin E in pumpkin seed oil also has a beneficial effect as a natural cell-protecting anti-aging agent.

Shopping and Kitchen Tips

Shopping

Quality pumpkin seed oil can be recognized for its subtle nutty smell. A further quality feature is the thickness of the liquid — if the oil melts quickly, it's likely been mixed with inferior quality goods. A bitter aftertaste is also a sign of an imposter.

Storage

In order for pumpkin seed oil to maintain its high quality, it should be treated with care. After opening, store the bottle or carafe in a dark and cold place, such as the refrigerator, and use it within two to three months.

What To Make With Pumpkin Seed Oil

Pumpkin seed oil isn't suitable for cooking, frying and baking because most of the aroma is lost with heat. You will get the most out of the healthy ingredients if you use pumpkin seed oil for a salad or a refined pesto. While pumpkin seed oil has no place in warm dishes, there is one exception to this rule: If you add a small ounce of cold-pressed pumpkin seed oil to a pumpkin puree over cooked vegetables or a cream soup before right before serving it won't do any harm!