Gourd vegetables are staples of the autumn palette, but it turns out most of us have been cooking them the wrong way.
You may have accepted that pumpkin and Butternut squash are notoriously difficult to cut and prepare, primarily due to their density and tough outer skin.
When it comes to squash, slicing through the thick neck and wide base requires significant force, which can be intimidating, and once peeled, squash also becomes slippery, making it harder to safely cut into neat chunks.
But experts at Britsuperstore have revealed a clever method that makes cooking butternut squash “a breeze”, and it all comes down to two kitchen tools – a fork and a microwave.
The food experts said: “Before microwaving the butternut squash, use a fork or the tip of a knife to pierce the skin with several holes.”
They continued: “This allows the steam to escape and prevents the butternut squash from bursting in the microwave.”
The next step is to microwave the squash, and there’s no need to chop it up beforehand. “Place the whole butternut squash in the microwave and heat it on max for between two and four minutes, depending on the size of the vegetable”, said the Britsuperstore team.”
As for the benefits of this, they explained that it “will soften the skin and flesh slightly, which makes it much easier to cut”.
Once the squash has been pierced and heated, remove it from the microwave and leave it to cool for a couple of minutes.
The food experts suggested: “You should now be able to peel and slice. Use a sharp vegetable peeler to remove the softened skin. Chop off the ends of the squash, slice it in half and scoop out the seeds.”
They continued: “If you plan to roast the squash to use in a soup, roast the whole thing first instead of chopping it into pieces. The contents can then be scooped out, which will save you a lot of strenuous chopping time.”
As for roasted squash, the best method is a simple one that involves just a couple of steps, as recommended by Jamie Oliver.
First, preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4, then wash and dry the whole squash.
Place the clean vegetable on a lined or oiled baking tray and pierce once or twice with the tip of a sharp knife, then bake in the oven for 1.5 hours, or until golden and very soft.
