Preheat the oven to 300°F. Spread 2 cups cleaned raw pumpkin seeds in one loose layer. Dry them at 300°F for 8 to 10 minutes and stir once at minute 5. Keep the seeds mostly separated so trapped moisture can escape. Then pull them when the shells look matte instead of wet. Don't let the edges take on much color yet. You'll hear less faint sizzling as the surface water disappears. The seeds should smell mildly nutty but not toasted. If they stay damp, the oil coats unevenly and the shells steam instead of crisping. Go past 12 minutes and the thinnest seeds can start browning too early. Dry at 300°F first because moisture blocks even roasting later.

Toss the warm seeds with 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon Eureka lemon zest, kosher salt, granulated garlic, black pepper and cayenne. Use broad folding strokes until every shell looks lightly slick. Then spread them back out and roast at 325°F for 10 minutes. Keep the layer uneven but never piled deeply. At minute 8, Lemon Roasted Pumpkin Seeds should look light gold around the rims while the centers stay pale tan. You'll smell toasted nuts with a clear citrus note. If the oil pools, the seeds fry in spots and stay soft elsewhere. Too much cayenne can hide the lemon, so keep it to 1/8 teaspoon. Roast at 325°F because moderate heat browns the shells without scorching the zest.

Stir the seeds thoroughly at minute 10 and rotate the darker pieces toward the center. Continue roasting at 325°F for 8 to 10 minutes. Scrape under the layer with a flexible spatula so the seeds flip instead of sliding as one sheet. Then spread them back into a loose single layer. (I tried 350°F first, the lemon zest darkened before the seeds turned crisp. 325°F is the fix.) The finished roast should show mixed shades from honey gold to toasted brown. You'll hear a faint dry crackle when you stir and smell warm citrus with roasted nuttiness. Lemon Roasted Pumpkin Seeds need that uneven browning for real crunch. If you skip the stir, the outer edges can scorch while the center stays pale. Stir once because flipping exposes damp undersides to direct heat.

Drizzle 2 teaspoons fresh Eureka lemon juice over the hot seeds and fold quickly until the moisture disappears into the coating. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon lemon zest. Return the seeds to 325°F for 2 to 3 minutes. Then remove them and let them cool for 10 minutes before transferring to the serving bowl. Keep the seeds loose while cooling. Lemon Roasted Pumpkin Seeds should finish dry and crisp with sharp citrus aroma and irregular bronze edges. The juice should leave no wet patches. If you pour on more than 2 teaspoons, the shells soften and need longer to dry. If you pack them warm, trapped steam ruins the crunch. Finish briefly at 325°F because it drives off juice moisture while preserving fresh lemon flavor.