I just saw an IG post where the woman used a bottle opener shaped like the one below to scrape out the strings and seeds. Seemed to work well.

Here is the video she did https://www.instagram.com/reel/CjX4Km2uUKn/?igshid=MDE2OWE1N2Q=

I’m no help on an easy method to separate out the seeds but that bottle opener as scraper looks efficient. I’ve been using a one pice icecream scoop to scrape out winter squash.

I have to look around every year and try a few things. My bottle opener is long so might try it! Good idea. If i cut into wedges, i use a big serrated steak knife and scrape.

The only way i can easily separate the stringy pulp from the seeds is to soak an hour and rub. The pulp sinks. You could strain the water and use for something else. Stock or soups.

You want to roast the seeds?

I've read that one method is to roast with the stringy pulp after removing the big bits. They will separate by rubbing after roasting. Still a pain i think.

I only bother roasting the hulless varieties that have no shell. Pepitas.

@sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA) that is exactly what we do. We leave the pulp on (as you say without the big chunks), mix in some melted butter, salt and Worcestershire and roast. The pulp sort of holds the other ingredients to the seeds so they come out really tasty!

I realize this doesn't answer the OP's question. I'm a messy, grab-the-pulp and scrape with a kitchen knife type of person.

Oh oh. Looks like I didn’t understand the assignment! I thought you were looking for an easy way to scrape out the innards. Saving the seeds would never occur to me since I am not a fan of seeds and nuts. Sorry.

Use these to scoop out pulp and seeds:

https://www.amazon.com/Meuxan-Pottery-Large-Ribbon-Sculpting/dp/B077FD1S9M/ref=sr_1_3?crid=QLDYWRB1H8DD&keywords=pottery+scoop+tools&qid=1665583143&sprefix=potery+scoop+tools%2Caps%2C83&sr=8-3

Then put seeds with pulp in water, and use an electric hand mixer to blend and separate the pulp and seeds.

dcarch

I use my hands to work the pulp off - just squeezing them off the stringy parts into a bowl, then mixing with salt and a bit of oil before roasting, because I like having some of the pulp remain on the seeds. I like the taste it gives. The pulp gets composted.

It's kind of therapeutic - if you don't mind getting your hands messy.

That said, I often have just put the guts out for birds and wildlife - squirrels & blue jays really like it.

Really? I have my hand-mixer from college—never quite able to let it go. I seems counter intuitive, but I can try it. :) I guess the seeds try to swim away?

I have had bad results with the roast the whole thing together trick, but I haven't done it with butter. I guess that keeps it from burning. That would be worth trying too,

Sleevendog, I have enough water to soak. ;) The old way I was objecting to is sluicing under running water, which is slimy, but works—with many gallons of sticky water down the drain. I guess you're right about capturing the water, but I'd only use it for the garden, and at that point of bothersome, I'd just skip it. Soaking sounds promising, and I could try the mixer on it before giving up, ;)

So, when they come out right, the shells are dry enough to crack, and the seeds aren't dried out. When the seeds (in shell) are vestigial and flat, they're no good and go right in the compost, but the plump round pumpkins often have plump rounded seeds, which are good if one can get them out of the guts. :D

Carol, it's kind of you to put them out for wildlife. :) I'd bet the tree rats and crows would love them, if I tried. Not sure about the neighbors... ;) (Tree rats are native but the crows are the bigger nuisance.)

Re scraping, my bottle opener isn't the right shape, but that's clever! I have a number of other tools that work, but my go-to is a cooking spoon I have, which is very strong and solid, and whose bowl is kind of stuntedly small and almost pointy. It was my mother's and became mine when I got my first place. I think she had no use for it (other than pumpkins) because of the smallness of the bowl. It was part of a set, with ladle, meat fork and a more useful size and shape slotted spoon. If any of you can guess what it was meant for, besides scraping pumpkins, I'd love to hear it!

Thanks for all the good ideas!

When roasting pumpkin seeds, my favorite part is the cooked stringy part that clings to the seeds, it gets a little crispy and buttery but that doesn't answer your question

But it's still on topic. ;) And a nice contrasting POV.