I made soup again the other night. I know I said I was sick of soup, but it sounded better than anything else I could think of. Anyway, the good news is it’s delicious and it gave me an excuse to try a new squash-peeling method.
On to the tip: Butternut squash is great to eat, but it’s a pain to prepare because it’s so hard to cut. Diane had had a hard time halving the things and told me about microwaving them first to soften the shell. I figured it might work for peeling, too.
Hence, I washed a 2-pound butternut, pierced the skin in a few places, and put it in the microwave for three minutes. When I took it out, liquid was oozing a bit from the holes I poked, and the squash was a little warm, but I could pick it up bare-handed.
Next, I lopped off the top and bottom, set it upright on a cutting board and peeled it with a chef’s knife, paring from top to bottom.
It was remarkably easy. Maybe not quite in the peel-a-carrot category, but much easier than previous attempts. You can see in the photo that moisture beaded up on the flesh where I peeled it, but that didn’t seem to harm the texture.
Only after I peeled the butternut did I halve it, seed it and cut it into 1-inch dice for the soup. Net result: soup prep time also halved.
I can help you one more:
Here!
The trick seems to be in having a flexible peeler with a comfortable enough handle that you can easily put some pressure on it.
Wow. I must not have the right peeler, or the woman in the video has some kind of softer-skinned butternut than I have had. I’ve never had the peel come off like that with a peeler, or even a very sharp knife. It does make me think I’ll try again sometime with a different peeler, though. Thanks, Katie!
You’re welcome. :-)
Curried Butternut Squash Soup fits with season | foodperson.com // Dec 4, 2008 at 2:30 pm
[...] oven. Cook on high 3 minutes. Remove and peel. (Microwave step is optional, but it makes for easier peeling.) Cut open, remove seeds and cut squash in [...]
You saved the day! I wanted to try butternut squash (after tasting it at a friend’s house), but I had no idea how to peel it. My wife and I are in our 70′s but I do all the cooking because she works part time and also operates a painting studio. Thanks!
Good news, Don! Thanks for letting me know. :)
After reading about the microwave suggestion for peeling a butternut, I tried it a couple days ago. I pricked a 3lb squash several times, then m-waved it for a total of 6 minutes in 2 min increments. Probably could have gotten away with a straight 4, maybe 5 minutes, as it started to get a little soft in a couple of spots on the ends. I cut it horizontally so it was easier to hold the neck and the bulb in my hand for peeling. It worked like a charm. We’ll be eating a lot more butternut squash now!
Sage and Butternut Squash Pasta | The Easy Vegetarian // Mar 24, 2011 at 12:16 pm
[...] Add squash (how to properly de-seed and peel here) , 3/4 cup water, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer,stirring occasionally, until squash softens, 5 [...]
I’m back at Foodperson, come on in | foodperson.com // Jul 29, 2011 at 10:53 am
[...] An easier way to peel butternut squash [...]
Thanks for the great tip. I will be sure to use…. love all my squashes..i hope to try this tip on the acorn sqyash as well or do you have a different tip to share on how to peel that one also?
I just use a cheese grater to peel squash. It’s easy and doesn’t take too much time, and requires little muscle work.
Jeannette–Glad to be of help! I don’t know a good way to peel acorn squash; haven’t tried this one. With acorns, I always cook in the peel and scoop out the flesh.
Jamie–That’s amazing. You must have one heck of a cheese grater! Good for you. :)
Woooot! it worked brilliantly! I used a little sharp paring knife to peel it. I’ll be passing on the tip.
Thanks :)
Missy is a Madam « londonlovebirdy // Jan 10, 2012 at 12:31 pm
[...] squash to make soup. My sister has warned me it was a bugger to peel and deseed, but I found a great tip online, for doing so easily. Just pierce a few holes in the squash, put it in the microwave for 3 [...]