How to peel, cut and cube a butternut squash, one of those unwieldy-looking winter squashes. A step-by-step illustrated guide to cutting up a butternut squash, so easy the squash almost cuts itself up.
Okay, I admit it. There was a time when my eyes glazed over recipes for butternut squash. My Inner Knife Phobia whispered, "How in the world would you cut one of those things without losing a finger? A butternut squash is door-stop dense." It tempted, "Just go buy squash cubes at Trader Joe's. No cutting, no peeling. Who cares if they're all dry and unappetizing?"
You too? Well, you are in luck! This post illustrates, step by step, how to cut up a butternut squash. It's so easy, the squash will practically cut up itself. Just think of all that squash we've been missing ...
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
A cutting board (UPDATE: and if you have one, a silicone mat)
A sharp knife
A grapefruit spoon comes in handy although a fork works fine
That's all!
Well, except, yes, you'll need a butternut squash, that's one of the tan-colored squash seen in the market during the fall and winter. Let's get started.
STUMBLEUPON: For all who use the great discovery tool StumbleUpon, I'd love for this post to be 'stumbled'!
 First, wash the squash. Two reasons. If there's something yucky-gucky on the squash's skin, just cutting into it with your knife will transfer the yuck-guck to the part you will eat. And onto the cutting board where you'll be cutting up more stuff. This is called 'cross contamination. Not good! Second, I'm going do my best to talk you into making a lovely orange-colored stock with the skins so while you're at it, get out a saucepan, willya please? |
 What, you noticed? Yes I switched squash and yes, I admit it, three squash were sacrificed, just so that you could learn how to, well, sacrifice more. It's a worthy cause.(UPDATE! I learned a new trick when making Roasted Butternut Squash & Apple. Before getting all fancy-pants with a knife, cook the squash in the microwave for 3 minutes. It will soften the skin and make all this extra easy-peasy!) If you have a silicone mat, put it on the counter, then put the cutting board on top, it'll slip around less. Now slice off the stem end and the other end, that's what we call the 'blossom' end because it's where the squash plant's flower comes from. Yes, you've wandered into Squash Anatomy 101. |
 Off with her head!Slice the 'neck' off the squash, that's the longer skinnier part. It's easier to work with the squash in manageable pieces. The best thing about the neck? The flesh is just a tad sweeter, a tinge smoother, than the flesh from the bulb end. Covet it! |
 Stand the neck on its end, so, flat side down. With a knife, slice off the skin in swaths, starting at the top, slicing down. Try to take off all the skin, leaving as much of the orange flesh as possible.Because you'll ask: I've had no luck with vegetable peelers, even the strong y-shaped peelers, so I always use a knife. |
 Now isn't this easy? Just slice through the neck to create pretty little rounds of squash. If you want half-inch cubes, you'll want the rounds to be about a half inch thick. If you want one-inch cubes, you'll want the rounds to be ... oh, you know. Or, just stop here. If you cut the rounds quite thin, you can cook them in a skillet or on a griddle. Just rub with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. They're delicious! |
 Stack two or three rounds on top of each other. No, this isn't dominoes, no knocking the stack over. Cut through the rounds to form lengths. |
 Okay, if there's a tricky part, it's this. The idea is to use the fingers of your non-knife hand to hold the whole thing together while you cut the other way. It's not hard, just don't -- ouch! -- cut too close.Just look at all those neat 'n' tidy little cubes of squash! Aren't they pretty? |
 Enough nuzzling with the neck. Onto the bulb. Place it cut-side down and with your knife at an angle, slice off the skin, working top to bottom. Because of the bulb's curve, I usually do the top half first ... |
 ... and then turn it over and repeat the process. Regular slashers, we are. |
 Cut the bulb in half, cutting through all the seeds and gunk inside. |
 Grab that grapefruit spoon -- that's the one with the serrated edge and it's ever so useful to have around that I'll just wait a moment while you go buy one, okay? Back so soon? Perfect. Otherwise, just grab a fork. Dig out all that stuff, using the serrated edge of the spoon or the tines of a fork. Remember the saucepan? Drop the gunk, seeds and all, plus the skins into it and cover with water. Add a bay leaf and a few peppercorns and a rib of chopped celery, maybe a carrot or onion. Let simmer for 15-20 minutes, strain and you'll have a lovely broth for soup, stews, sauces. (What, not interested in broth? Maybe Spicy Sweet Pumpkin Seeds?) |
 Place one bulb flat-side down and then cut it into lengths ... |
 ... and then into cubes. |
 And now the payoff! Toss the squash cubes with a chopped apple and a chopped onion, toss with olive oil, kosher salt and pepper and roast at 400F for about an hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Delicious! |
With Photos
Text Only
FAVORITE BUTTERNUT SQUASH RECIPES
~ Steamed Butternut Squash ~
~ Savory Bread Pudding with Butternut Squash, Chard & Cheddar ~
~ Warm Butternut Squash & Chickpea Salad with Tahini Dressing ~
~ more winter squash recipes ~
~ Steamed Butternut Squash ~
~ Savory Bread Pudding with Butternut Squash, Chard & Cheddar ~
~ Warm Butternut Squash & Chickpea Salad with Tahini Dressing ~
~ more winter squash recipes ~
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© Copyright Kitchen Parade 2009
Your Comments:
But it's the broth part I admire most. Who knew? Thank you soooo much for this post!
You HAVE to use a chef's knife with some backbone or a narrow chinese cleaver style knife to be safe. Those types of knives allow you to use your free hand to guide the knife along the flat side of the blade. The skinny knife you showed has no place to do that and can wobble and cut you.
I pale when I see my wife trying to work in the kitchen with a "steak knife" to do her cutting. Get the right knife, a sharpening tool and a steel and you will have no more cutting phobia about any food.
It's my belief that we each pick knives that feel most comfortable to us. Like my favorite cook, as a man, you may well be comfortable with a larger knife with greater heft.
But as a woman, and a woman with small hands, I'm not in the least bit comfortable with a larger knife. It's too heavy for my hands, I have trouble controlling it. There are many times when because of the SIZE of what I'm cutting, a larger knife would be better. But often, even when I start off with a bigger knife, I'll switch to one that just works better in my hands.
I do thank you for chiming in, it may well persuade others to look at their knife habits.
PS All that said, I reserve the steak knifes for steaks!
It is the only large winter squash other than summer zuchhinni, yellow crookneck and young pattypan squash that have edible skins.
I HAVE tried it, and there was no objectionable bitterness or toughness to the squash skin. If it is anything like potatoes, the most nutrients are right next to, if not in the skin.
However, the other winter squashes have a very hard skin, and those I peel with a potato peeler.
Or, if I am being lazy and want to keep ALL the nutrients in the squash instead of leaching out into the cooking or baking water, I cut a triangle 'vent' into the SEED cavity, place in a glass pie pan or microwave safe plate,then microwave the whole thing in the microwave until the skin is soft all over. If the squash has a stem or 'handle', remove it before microwaving. Depends on the size, buttercup, (the green rounded squash) can take up to 20 minutes. Go in 5-minute increments after 10-15 minutes and test for softness all over.
(And Yes, THANKS so much Alanna, for mentioning the scrubbing part of any fruit or veggie and the why they need to be washed.)
When soft, be careful, it will be hot, take out of the microwave, place on counter to cool for a short time until you can put your hand on the squash to steady it without burning your hand, and then cut into it. Remove those seeds (remember after cleaning the seeds from the flesh, save those seeds for oiling slightly, salting and baking just the seeds for a nutritious snack or for an addition to a salad.) and then using a large serving spoon, remove that gorgeous pulp from the skin to your serving bowl, upon serving, season with salt and pepper, add butter and can you go mmmmmmmmmmmmm?
By the way, I get the gunky residue on my hands as well. It must just be "special" body chemistry or something.
Thanks again for a great post and recipe at the end! Squash, onion and apple sounds DIVINE!
You know, I really (really) could have used this post LAST week. Buy stock in Band-Aid now.
Thanks
Eunice
One other tip, especially if you're using a Weight Watchers slide tool. I've found that when I calculate points mathematically, when a serving size is on the cusp between two points, the 'slider' will look like the higher point value even while the math doesn't quite push it over.
Hope this helps, good luck with your Weight Watchers journey!
Great tips on how to peel and cut too!
THANK YOU for making it SO EASY.
i don't know if this is only me, but everytime i try to peel a butternut squash-the sap really dries out my hands. Severely. i've googled it and it seems that i'm not the only one-its really odd though!!
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