peeling and cubing butternut squash is a bitch

[blueamy66]

that is all

[Chan790]

1. What are you using it for?

If this will work for you use, try this. Works for all types of hard squash. Cut it in half and stand both halves up in a roasting pan with about a 1/2" of water. Get all stabby with a fork to produce vents, stick it in the oven at 325'F for about 30-45 minutes or until tender. It should come out in spoonible-soft chunks.

[blueamy66]

8. Yeah, I should have done this...I know....

but if I have any leftovers, I want to make soup.

Just gonna put butter and brown sugar and molasses and cinnamon on it....

[NuttyFluffers]

24. yup, yup. or butter steam in a large pot, too.

roughly the same mechanics, but a bit faster because the pot heats up faster.

find a pot where the squash fits. cut in half. you can rub the butter on squash's skin if you want now. add enough water to the bottom of pot equal to 1/2" of water. add a tbsp or two of butter (and like always, more butter is better!). cover with lid on med to med-low, leave for 20ish+ minutes. (things depend on your range, so glass lids are nice here. a diffuser between range and pot is nice, too.)

i once overcooked my squash that even the skin was all soft, buttery, and edible. still rather annoying, i wanted to peel it off because the skin's taste was not as delicious. but enough butter works magic on everything.

i also like to put a mix some sesame oil with enough cooking oil to lather the outside skin before i butter steam. gives enough flavor to the outer skin that covers up any bitter flavors, while the butter steaming permeates most of the flesh.

ooh, i'm getting hungry!

[theNotoriousP.I.G.]

2. I hear you

I made my first Kurbis creme suppe last night and spent about 4 hours making it but had to dump it all down the shitter because I foolishly followed an online recipe that called for carrots. Too sweet and no amount of doctoring could salvage it.

I cut myself a few times trying to peel the Kurbis with a conventional peeler too.

[Chan790]

3. What is a Kurbis?

:shrug:

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. I think it's German for pumpkin.

[GoneOffShore]

4. Roasted butternut squash last night

400 degrees, salt and pepper after I cubed it and didn't peel it.

30 minutes in the oven - ate it peel and all.

And if you just need the innards, as for soup, cut it in half, scoop the seeds (clean them and roast them separately with oil and cayenne and salt - they make a great snack), oil the skin, then place the two halves cut side down in a pan with salted water. Cook for 45 minutes in a medium hot (350-375) oven. Scoop out the flesh.

[blueamy66]

9. thanks for the info...

I'm not the greatest cook!

[GoneOffShore]

11. Arghh - I forgot - you have to put olive oil on the skin!

And it doesn't hurt to put in on the flesh as well.

If you don't want that olive oil taste use canola -

And for a really decadent flavor, use

duck fat!

[msanthrope]

6. You can use the roasting method above, or steam the halves.

Failing that, frozen works very well in most recipies.

[blueamy66]

20. But I grew this in my backyard!

:-)

[MorningGlow]

7. My local supermarket sells packages of it cleaned, peeled, and cubed

I'm sure it costs a bit more (I've never compared prices), but I think it's worth it. (I never buy prepared veggies otherwise.) The package is also the perfect serving size for a family meal.

[littlewolf]

10. any kind of hard squash we cut in half cover with plastic film

and mirco until soft .... my fav is spaghetti squash .... with either butter and parm ....
or red sauce ..... hmmmm soooo good

[applegrove]

12. I had a job where I had to cube butternut squash for soup at an indian restaurant.

I got good with a big knife. Was excellent soup. Well worth it.

[SwampG8r]

13. halve it

bake it til it is soft
scoop it out
easy

[blogslut]

14. Nothing to add except...

I think Butternut Squash is the most appealingly named food of all foods.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

15. Oh please! Treat it like an Avacodo. Just slice it both ways in the skin

then scoop it out with a spoon.

This is not rocket science!

[blueamy66]

19. Yeah, I know how to do that....

but I wanted the cubes for leftovers for soup!

on edit: okay, from now forward....no more peeling and cubing!!!!

[Orsino]

16. And once you're done...

...all you've got is a bunch of squash. x(

[Lorien]

17. You need a power saw, or a Costco

they sell it freshly peeled and cubed.

[siligut]

18. Maybe the best inadvertent thread I've seen.

Thanks blueamy, this thread is giving me all sorts of good ideas/recipes for jack-o-lantern season.

[Generic Brad]

21. But it's the sort of bitch that makes awesome soup

I've got around 20 butternut and spaghetti squash in my pantry and I will not let them go to waste.

[blueamy66]

22. How long will they keep

after I chop them off the vine?

[Generic Brad]

23. I'm not sure

My wife tells me we should be using them up within 2-3 weeks.