Pepitas

The pepita, aka pumpkin seed, (from Spanish pepita de calabaza, "little seed of squash") is an edible seed of a pumpkin or other cultivar of squash (genus Cucurbita), typically rather flat and asymmetrically oval. They’re popular in Mexican cooking and are also roasted and salted and served as a snack.

NUTRITION
Pepitas are a very good source of magnesium and iron, they’re high in zinc – which aids the healing process and is useful in treating an enlarged prostate gland. They’re also a good source of manganese, phosphorus, copper, potassium, niacin, folic acid, calcium, vitamin A, riboflavin, thiamin, pantothenic acid, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants. A handful provides 57% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for magnesium, 34% of the RDA for iron, 29% for manganese, 19% for copper, 17% for protein, 20% for mono-unsaturated fat, and 21% for zinc.

BENEFITS
• helps milk production in lactating mothers and to reduce postpartum swelling of the hands and feet;
• contains the amino acid L-tryptophan, which can help ease depression;
• contains the amino acid curcurbitin, which has been shown to help treat intestinal parasite infections;
• reduces inflammatory symptoms in arthritis;
• may help prevent impotence, as well as difficult or dribbling urination;
• an alternative treatment for stage 1 and 2 benign prostatic hyperplasia;
• helps reduce irritable bladder and the incidence of kidney stones;
• helps maintain bone mineral density and may reduce the incidence of osteoporosis at the hip and spine; and
• indicated for motion sickness and nausea.

THE BRAND
Our pepitas are grown using organic and biological farming methods. No herbicides, pesticides or chemical sprays are used and the farm’s remote location means it doesn’t receive any overspray or contaminated runoff from neighbours. However, because the farm isn’t certified by an outside body the seeds as referred to as ‘chemical free’. As Australian stocks are small, the company does import some seeds from Europe, which have been through numerous tests to ensure they are free of heavy metals, allergens, chemicals and genetic modification and not irradiated. (The company’s current strategy is to use local contract growers to boost the Australian pumpkin seed supply and to one day eliminate the need to import.)

THE FARM
The West family has lived on their 400-hectare property 70km north-east of Chinchilla in Queensland since 1983. They began selling pepitas at local markets in Noosa in 2004. The pumpkins from which the seeds are extracted have always been grown principally on animal manures. The family spent many years as active members of the local Landcare group and say they remain committed to sustainable farming and efficient, cost effective water use. All that pumpkin flesh isn’t wasted either. It’s crushed in the harvester and fed to the cows, which in return produce lots of organic manure, which is used as fertiliser. The pumpkin is a special variety grown specifically for seed and the flesh, according to the Wests, doesn’t taste as good to humans as it does to the cows. Any the cows don’t eat are simply ploughed back into the soil, which helps replace nutrients and moisture.

STORAGE
Pepitas should be stored in a sealed container in a cool, dark place or the fridge to maintain quality and freshness. Flour moths love them.

MORE INFO