How to Peel and Cut a Butternut Squash

Directions

Using a heavy, sharpened chef's knife, cut off about 1/4-inch from the bottom of the squash in an even slice. Then cut off 1/4-inch from the stem end.

Holding the squash in one hand, use a sharp vegetable peeler in the other hand to peel off the outer layer of the squash. You can also secure the squash standing upright and peel it in downward strokes with the peeler.

Stand the peeled squash upright on a cutting board. It shouldn't wobble, you want the squash to be stable. Make one long cut, down the middle from the top to bottom, with a heavy chef's knife. Some squashes can be pretty hard; to help with the cutting you can use a rubber mallet to gently tap on the ends of the knife to help push the knife down through the squash.

Use a metal spoon to scrape out the seeds and the stringy pulp from the squash cavity. and make another set of lengthwise cuts. Then make crosswise cuts to make cubes. One 1 1/2 pound butternut squash will yield approximately 4 cups of 1/2-inch cubed squash.