But how to peel it yourself—in a reasonable amount of time? Squash recipes sometimes call for using a Y-shaped peeler. While the vertical handle certainly speeds up the process, you’ll still spend at least 20 minutes trying to scrape off the squash’s woody exterior. No, thank you. These two brilliant tricks will help allow you to peel squash less than five minutes.
Let the microwave do the work.
Poke the squash or pumpkin all over with the tines of a fork. Place it in a microwave-safe dish and microwave on high for three minutes. Use a paring knife or Y-shaped peeler to remove the skin. It will practically fall off in large strips.
Use a chef’s knife.
Cut off the squash’s top and bottom. (When cutting butternut squash, cut the base and neck apart and tackle each separately.) Stand upright and, working from top to bottom, cut off the skin in strips with the knife, following the shape of the squash. You may take off a bit more flesh than with a peeler, but the knife is much faster. Cut off the squash’s top and bottom. (For butternut squash, cut the base and neck apart and tackle each separately.) Stand upright and, working from top to bottom, cut off the skin in strips with the knife, following the shape of the squash. You may take off a bit more flesh than with a peeler, but the knife is much faster.
