I bought my very first butternut squash today, and I've made some rather good soup with it (with chanteray carrots, shallots, garlic, chilli and ham stock) but DEAR GOD please tell me how to peel the damn thing properly!!!

I nearly took my fingers off!!!!

All suggestions greatly appreciated!!

Shona
x

I slice it into discs, then peel the discs with a sharp knife.

Ah, see now that would make sense, I never thought of that... I tried with a potato peeler, then a knife - neither worked.

I'll do it that way next time Thanks Tealady

I don't peel mine. It's nice roasted, not so sure about soup though.

is the skin okay to eat?

I cut it lengthways with a huge heavy knife. Then lie each one cut-side down on the chopping board and use a potato peeler.

Doddle.

I'd have thought it would be a bit tough. I will leave a few pieces unpeeled next time.

I use a potato peeler on mine - no trouble at all. Mind you, it does have to be a good peeler!
Funnily enough, today I had butternut squash and chorizo stew, very nice it was, too.
Usually though I just cut them in half, scoop out the seeds, put a knob of butter, salt and pepper and bung in the oven. You just scoop out the roasted flesh then, leaving the skin behind.

Yes, and like all vegetables containing much of the overall nutrients. Probably only really palatable when roasted though.

You can peel it fine, but may be your peeler is blunt? keep your fingers out the way though and you'll be fine.

lol I had exactly the same thing - I had to cut it into four before I peeled it, what a nightmare! I made soup too, it's lovely isn't it

i think the biggest tip with peeling is to not get through the entire skin in one go, take a couple of peels, then the rest are easy. Your digging it in too deep.

Yummy, I love butternut squash but it IS a pain to peel, I either cut it into thick rounds and take the skin off with a knife or I rub it with olive oil, sage, garlic and roast it. It's so easy to scoop out! I've eaten the skin too, I've had the bulb roasted and stuffed with risotto and it's actually quite tasty.

Stick it in the microwave for about a minute it softens the skin enough to use a potato peeler.

The skin is delicious when it's roasted, and not at all tough.

i keep the peel on too.i stuff it with brown breadcrumbs,stilton and parsley.i then do a sauce of creme fraiche and stilton and serve it with plain roasted chicken.

my peeler is blunter than blunt but my knives are ok. gonna try recs on here, they sound brilliant!

i finished my soup already :S

I made soup with it once and didn`t peel it. It was horrible. Very chewy.

I'm sure I saw Jamie Oliver do a soup and didn't peel it, he may have roasted it first. They are a bugger to peel, not as bad as a really nobbly Jeruselum artichoke though, won't be doing that again in a hurry!

It was because Jamie Oliver said you don`t have to peel them that I didn`t. I will never listen to that man again It is his fault I have chickens in my back garden as well.