Gerbs In-Shell Pumpkin Seeds | Extra Sea Salted

 

I liked the sea salted pumpkin seeds so much, I thought I'd give the "extra sea salted" ones a try. Big mistake. I guess there's a salt ceiling, and this is above it. They're definitely salty and maybe giving me heart palps. Also, they taste less fresh and more chewy/rancid. Perhaps this is unrelated to the salt content (OK, probably), but each 2lb bag is a real commitment of about half a semester of daily seed eating, so. Don't get me wrong, a ton of salt is still tastier than no salt, but I think the ranking (on pure taste, ignoring whatever salt does for one's health) is: normal > lightly > extra > none. Makes sense, I guess. Sorry this is such a blurry picture, or maybe I just have glaucoma now. 

Overall
Cost: 6/10
Taste: 6/10 

Gerbs Pumpkin Kernels (Pepitas) - Roasted & Unsalted

The truth is, I've never really liked shelled pumpkin seeds. Like what's the point? They just taste like pliable dirt, which I have plenty of in my yard. So why am I the owner of a 2lb bag of them? Ha ha, so true. The reason is that Gerb's only sells 2lb bags, and I needed some pepitas for a recipe. (Pepita is a cute name for a pet by the way. I had a lil guy named Pepito way before that internet cat was even born. Just saying.) Where was I? Oh yes. I used these to make a crust for a pumpkin cheesecake (I know, it's a little 親子) and it was way less delicious than pretty much any other crust would have been, but certainly more fibrous and magnesiumous. So there's something. Anyway, I will use these in recipes and they will serve their purpose and be nut free. But I will not snack on them because they do not delight me, or even really fill me. 

Overall
Cost: 5/10 [24$ish]
Taste: 5/10 

Gerbs Sea Salted Whole Pumpkin Seeds

Wow! Whatever the opposite of "comparison is the thief of joy" is is really resonating with me lately. Compared to the unsalted ones, which I ate 2lbs of over the last semester (gratefully but not especially happily), these are so, so good. It is rare that I really experience the transformative power of salt, but here it is on full display. These are like, actually tasty. And they're fresh so they don't even hurt to chew (yet). Only downside is they're packed so tight in a smaller package, so you have to eat 2 servings before you can even struggle to close the bag. Impressive. All the people snacking on nuts 24/7 should really switch to these. They're definitely at least as healthy, probably cheaper, obviously allergy-friendly, and I can't imagine they taste worse (but maybe they do). 

Overall
Cost: 6/10 [26$]
Taste: 7/10 

Gerbs Jumbo Unsalted Roasted Snow White Pumpkin Seeds

2 pounds of pumpkin seeds seems like a lot, especially when you look at the huge bag they come in, but it turns out that's NOT a lot at all! It's really only like 12 quarter-cup servings! Anyway, last fall I got pretty far with the funky rancid salted seeds, so I decided to try some slight variations on the theme. These are great to bring to school because they're filling and portable, and every single G D meeting is a lunch meeting with free lunches I'm allergic to so it helps the awkwardness if I bring something to eat for myself. Unlike the previous ones I tried, these don't have any rancid flavor. They do have a hella boring flavor, but that's okay. I could always add my own seasonings, but I'm not there yet. They are hard to chew is the worst part, but persistence is key. Some of them are extra roasted and those ones actually taste good. Good source of magnesium, fiber, probably other stuff. Good. These are replacing my Meat Sticks, I think. I'm already halfway through the bag! Zounds! And Gerb's is top 8 allergy free; great stuff, wish they sold more things actually.

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10 

Gerbs Lightly Sea Salted Roasted Snow White Pumpkin Seeds (In Shell)

Oh boy. I still can't drive, see, or think, but my hope for improvement is such that I still haven't quit my job, but I really can't do my job. It's not good! I also have a lot of rage that I'm misdirecting. And these pumpkin seeds are one more unfortunate beneficiary of that rage. They are in-shell, which is my preference, and they're totally allergen free and safe for all dumb diets. But they tasted weird. On the one hand, a lot of food has been tasting "off" for me over the last few weeks because of all the meds I'm on, but on the other other hand, the Gerbs tomatoes were really weird and bad, so I think it's likely that the badness in these seeds is from the seeds and not from me. Other than the weird off taste (kind of rancid? chemically? bitter? acrid? moldy? I'm not sure how to describe it), and corresponding weird off smell, these were filling and I need to keep my blood sugar level (ha ha) so I appreciated them in my time of need (office hours). But they are bad. Filling yet bad. I miss the days of not filling yet delicious! Maybe someday, friends.

Overall
Cost: 5/10 (20$ for a big bag)
Taste: 6/10

SuperSeedz - Somewhat Spicy

As the name implies, these are, indeed, somewhat spicy pumpkin seeds. They have all the perks (protein, nut free, snack, lots of them) of the flavorless version, plus the added enjoyment of some flavoring (mostly hot pepper in my perception). I enjoy them a lot, although my criticism of I Would Rather Have Shells still stands, as well as the fact that I think a sweet+spicy flavor (like cinnamon sugar + cumin) would be tastier still.

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10

SuperSeedz - Sea Salt

Pumpkin seeds are one of the great snacks that make me feel like a normal human! The only seed I eat, I think. I actually like biting the shell off (or eating it), so these shell-less pumpkin seeds are actually not my preference, even though I get why people prefer it. Anyway, these are a fun, not sweet snack that is nut free (and actually says so on the packaging!). They mostly taste like salt, and I like that. You can also eat a bunch of them, and I like that too. Cute packaging, decent company, I hope they stick around!

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10