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How To Peel Butternut Squash

Question:

How to peel butternut squash?

Butternut squash is one of the sweetest, creamiest most versatile squashes around. Yet why is it so darn hard to peel a butternut squash? I guess all goodness needs to somehow protect itself, but the fact is that with a good vegetable peeler the task is really not that daunting. At least the shape of a butternut squash makes it easier to hold than some other winter squashes, like say acorn squash.

Answer:

To peel a butternut squash first arm yourself with a large, sharp straight edge knife, a quality vegetable peeler and a cutting board. You’re now ready to peel squash in a few easy steps – just peel, slice & scoop.

These steps for how to peel a butternut squash are detailed and broken down below.

How To Peel A Butternut Squash

Steps to Peel a Butternut Squash and to Cut a Butternut Squash:

Start by holding your butternut squash near the stem end and make a straight slice to remove the rounded bulb on the bottom of the squash. Now the butternut squash will be able to stand firmly on it’s own. If it’s not wobbly, it’s both easier and safer to peel.

Hold your butternut squash at the stem end and begin with the vegetable peeler. Start close to the top and hold your vegetable peeler with firm pressure as you follow the curve and peel right down the side of the squash. You will need to do two strokes down most of the squash, as the first stroke will take the tough outer skin and the next stroke will remove the green membrane (strand) hiding underneath the skin. You will notice the squash will begin to sweat, no worries.

Slice the stem end off the butternut squash and then slice the freshly peeled butternut squash straight down the middle while it is standing upright.

Scoop out the seeds with a sturdy spoon and then proceed to slice and/or dice as needed for your recipe.

Notes

BEWARE: Don’t try this with a weak vegetable peeler, this task is only for the big guns. You need a vegetable peeler with a sturdy handle and a sharp blade.

If your vegetable peeler isn’t working, this is one we recommend:

To find out how long squash lasts, visit our winter squash page.

To find out how long other foods are good for, please visit the Dairy, Drinks, Fruits, Grains, Proteins, Vegetables and Other sections of Eat By Date or use the search function below.