# Shelling pumpkin seeds **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 12, 2002, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shelling-pumpkin-seeds/97737 "2002-03-12T00:53:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shelling-pumpkin-seeds/97737/1 "2002-03-12T00:53:18Z")
So I’m eating pumpkin seeds, the salted ones in the shell. (Yeah, I wish you could get them in the shell without the salt but that’s not my point.) I like eating them, I started when I last quit smoking, keeps the fingers and the lips busy, not fattening and fun to eat. I know you can get pumpkin seeds that are raw, unsalted and already shelled. So my question is, how do they shell them? Mechanically? The only way I know is to put them between your teeth, clearly there must be another way. Anyone have the straight dope? If it’s a machine I’d love to see a photo of one. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shelling-pumpkin-seeds/97737/2 "2002-03-12T16:09:17Z")
What? Not a single answer? I just assumed one of the teaming millions would know the answer to this. I mean, sure, it stumped me, but I was sure someone else would have something to add. Not even a wild ass guess? What’s up with that? ---
**Author:** ![BurnMeUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shelling-pumpkin-seeds/97737/3 "2002-03-12T16:20:44Z")
I’d like to know where you find the shelled ones, I’ve been looking forever for shelled pumpkin seeds to no avail. I can find shelled sunflower seeds, but i hate those bastards. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shelling-pumpkin-seeds/97737/4 "2002-03-12T16:49:28Z")
There is a variety of pumpkin called [Lady Godiva](http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/BODY_MV117) which has seeds without shells. But there must also be a machine that does this sort of thing because sunflower seeds are sold ready-shelled. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shelling-pumpkin-seeds/97737/5 "2002-03-12T16:56:01Z")
You can get them at the Bulk Barn. Don’t know is you have one of those where you live but they must have something like it, I’d think. You know, everything in bulk, nuts, cookies, sugars, lentils, candies all of it. They have them, already shelled. But where’s the fun in that? ---
**Author:** ![Why\_A\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@Why\_A\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Why_A_Duck)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shelling-pumpkin-seeds/97737/6 "2002-03-13T12:16:11Z")
No specifics, but googling around has led me to the following conclusions about how they might shell (or “dehull”) the seeds. After the initial sorting to get rid of most non-seed junk, they go through the dehuller. This appearently works by either passing the seeds between two rollers to crack the hull, or using a centrifugal dehuller which apparently whips them around against hard things until the hull breaks open. Then they get sent on to a device which seperates the hull from the seed. This seems to be done by either high-pressure air, or a vibrating conveyor belt. From here, there is a seperation process to filter the kernels from the hulls. Again, air seems to play a part in this, but some sites mentioned water (the hulls would rise to the surface). It’s not perfect. One site mentioned their machine produced about 90% whole kernels. I wish I had a good link for this, but the info is pretty spread out. Most of it came from sites dealing with dehulling seeds and nuts for oil production.