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Pesach: Eating watermelon and pumpkin seeds on Pesach

Question

Is it permitted to those who avoid legumes (kitniyut) to eat watermelon and pumpkin seeds on Pesach?

 

Answer

Rabbi Yaakov Ariel

I have not seen those cautioning against eating them. Perhaps because they are similar to sunflower seeds and other legumes eaten on their own, piled in heaps (like grains), there might be those who think that they are forbidden. However, there is no reason to prohibit them. The book Seder Pesach Kehilchato states that the seeds that are inside a meaty fruit, which are also eaten on their own, such as watermelons, etc., are permitted for consumption (obviously, when roasted and salted in kosher-for-Pesach conditions).