How To Cut Butternut Squash - The Easy Way

I have noticed that many people shy away from using butternut squash or other hard squash because they are difficult to cut.  Years ago my Mom taught me a very easy way to cut squash.  I figured it would be easier for me to show you rather than try to explain :-)  Watch this brief video and then give it a try.  Once it is cut into rings it is also very easy to peel.  Butternut squash is delicious roasted, boiled and then mashed (add a little butter and cinnamon), and is even good raw!

How to pick a good butternut squash.

When buying butternut squash you want to look for one that is fairly uniformly fat all the way from stem to base.  The seeds are in the bottom section of the squash so if you buy one with a thin neck and fat end, you would be mostly paying for the seeds (which most people throw away.)  Another thing to look at is, how much green, if any, is showing around the stem end...  For a drier, richer squash you would want one similar to the squash shown below.  It is fully ripe.  Note that there is no green in the grooves near the stem.  Thirdly, check to make sure there are no bad blemishes or 'injuries' to the squash.  Uninjured, butternut squash has a fairly long shelf life.

Some recipes on my blog that include butternut squash are:

Hearty Bean and Vegetable Soup

Roast Beef Dinner