Butternut squash question

[Croney]

My daughter insists on peeling hers raw. I microwave it and then peel it. My way is 1,000 times easier and I'm sure that recipes using either method would taste the same. I'm wondering what other people do.

[Liberty Belle]

1. I slice it, skin on, and bake it

in a baking dish with water, dabs of butter, and brown sugar. Sometimes I'll add some cranberries too for a lovely holiday dish. You can easily peel off the skin when you eat it.

[hlthe2b]

2. I'm with you....

[Arkansas Granny]

3. Since I always bake butternut squash before eating, I just leave the skin on.

I've never tried peeling it after microwaving. I'll have to check into that.

[lapfog_1]

4. microwave and peel.

baked and drizzled with a butter / caramel sauce

makes a great fall desert

sort of like this

[Croney]

8. Oh that looks good.

[handmade34]

5. bake then peel...

although it can make a difference depending what you're doing with it...


I had an extra good harvest of delicata squash this season and I baked some with garlic and olive oil yesterday

[PJMcK]

6. Peel after cooking is easiest

Whether you nuke it or bake it.

[Freethinker65]

7. I never skin it before I cook it.

I believe Cooks Illustrated even suggested to slice in half and roast it in the oven with the seeds still intact for best flavor. (Of course once roasted, you scoop out the seeds)

I suppose if you are precubing it for something, you would peel it first. If you are just going to scoop out the flesh to use and eat, why bother?

[TreasonousBastard]

9. It depends...

If I'm making something like a pumpkin/squash soup, I might peel it and cut it up before cooking so there are chunks of it in the soup. Otherwise it's up to my mood, and I usually cook them and peel or scoop the flesh out.

There is no "best" way.

Other squashes, like acorn and delicata, I never peel. Not only is it a pain with those ridges, but I tend to use them as bowls and stuff them with something. Even if I'm too lazy to stuff them, it's easy to just scoop the cooked flesh out.

[trixie2]

12. [nods in agreement]

[flor-de-jasmim]

10. Microwave and peel...occasionally steam and peel.

[trixie2]

11. I agree microwaving makes it easier to cut

Why do you peel it? I either cut it in half and bake it and serve it like that or half bake it and slice it up in the skin for adding to recipes like Autumn Pie.

[procon]

13. Cut in half, it takes about 5 minutes in a pressure cooker.

Then I just scoop out the flesh with a big spoon, mash with butter, a bit of brown sugar and some cinnamon. Clean up is a snap as there is just the two empty shells. You can cook up several squash at the same time, portion out the flesh into serving amounts and freeze in baggies for use in future recipes. Easiest way to make a delicious, creamy squash bisque.

[Croney]

14. Thank you for all the replies!

I'm going to try some of your suggestions.