Cutting butternut squash into cubes may seem daunting, but it’s worth it for the nutritional value and taste. Scrub the skin, cut in half, peel, scoop out seeds, slice, stack, and cut into cubes widthwise.
For people unfamiliar with cooking butternut squash, the idea of making it may seem intimidating at first. This is especially true when you need to cube butternut squash for a specific recipe. To cut the pumpkin into cubes, it must be washed, cut, peeled and seeded. Each section is then sliced and then diced. While cubing this winter squash may take a little extra time, the nutritional value and appealing taste are well worth it.
When you get ready to dice your squash, you’ll need to take care of the outer skin first. Unlike some winter squash, butterscotch skin is not edible. It needs to be cleaned to prevent surface bacteria from entering the squash when it is cut. Scrub the skin with a vegetable brush under warm running water.
Cutting the squash in half will make it easier to handle as it is peeled. One end of the butternut squash is plump and rounded, while the other end is thinner and more elongated. Using a sharp knife, cut the squash all the way in half where the thinnest part of the squash begins to round into the more bulbous end. Take a vegetable peeler or small, sharp knife and peel off the pumpkin skin.
Place the fatter end on a cutting surface and cut in half. Using a rounded spoon, scoop out all the seeds. Continue cleaning out all the seeds and pulp until there is an empty, shallow hole in the center. Do the same for the other half of the rounded end.
Flip one of the cleaned ends over so that it is face down on the cutting surface. Cut the pumpkin lengthwise into slices, but do not separate them. Keeping the slices together, cut them crosswise across to create cubes. If necessary, cut thicker pieces in half.
Lay the longer half of the squash flat on the cutting surface and begin slicing it. The thickness of these slices will determine the thickness of the cubes. After the entire section has been cut into round slices, stack two or three together. Cut into the stack lengthwise to create more sections. Hold them to keep them together.
To properly cut butternut squash, you need to cut it widthwise next. This will turn the stack of slices into a stack of squash cubes. Move the completed cubes aside and create another stack of pumpkin slices. Continue until all slices have been diced.
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