Master Recipe: Instant Pot Squash • Squash (2024)

FAQs

Why cook squash cut side down? ›

Putting it cut-side down creates a sort-of steam chamber for the flesh, helping it cook faster and retain moisture (no dried out squash here!). If you've added oil to the flesh before cooking, it will brown nicely where it's in contact with the sheet pan.

Some squash skin is edible, while other types of squash have tough skin that can be removed before cooking. Remove the skin of butternut, hubbard, buttercup, and turban squash. If you enjoy the taste, leave the skin on acorn, spaghetti, kabocha, and zucchini squash.

Uchiki Kuri Winter Squash

This is an absolute winner of a squash, and is a favourite with some of the UK's top chefs for its nutty flavour. It's also a great size – about 15cm diameter – and a lovely deep colour. Again, it's easy to grow in the UK and will ripen up nicely.

Do I Have to Peel Butternut Squash before Cooking? While the peel is technically edible, it is tough, so it's better to remove it before cooking. If you want to skip the peeling, opt for a winter squash with more delicate skin such as delicata or honeynut squash.

A quick Google search reveals that this is a common reaction many people have to handling peeled butternut (and acorn) squash. Butternut squash contains a sticky, sap-like substance that is released when the fruit (squash is technically a fruit) is cut.

Here's the essence of David's tried-and-true, time-honed method for not overcooking summer squash: cut it into larger pieces. I got to work, slicing each medium-sized squash in half lengthwise, and then pulled out the ruler.

If you cut a squash into rounds, sprinkle kosher salt over them, and put them in a bowl to sit for 30 minutes, you'll return to find the squash circles sitting in a pool of water. The salt sitting on the vegetable's surface draws out extra moisture which you can easily discard before frying the pieces.

Honeynut squash are especially delicious roasted with a little cinnamon and butter. The only winter squash skin to avoid eating altogether, even if well cooked, is spaghetti squash because of its thick, eggshell-like quality.

Squashes like warmth and full sun, in rich, moisture-retentive but not waterlogged soil. They need plenty of space – even the more compact bush varieties can easily spread to 90cm (3ft) across. Before planting out or sowing seeds outdoors, prepare the ground where each squash will grow.

Which squash has the most flavor? ›

Honeynut Squash: The sweetness and flavor made this a clear winner. Delicata Squash: This is actually tied with acorn squash and both are similar in texture and flavor which is why they are ranked at the top.

It's not that steaming is better than roasting or roasting is better than steaming. It's that both techniques belong in a vegetable cook's repertoire. With steaming, you get pure squash flavor; with roasting you get darker, denser caramelized flavor.

Most recipes say to either bake or roast butternut squash—but what's the difference? While both cooking methods will turn the tough, raw gourd into a soft, sweet ingredient, roasting butternut squash is the more common process for achieving browned, crispy edges and a creamy interior.

The skin of crookneck squash is edible and adds color and texture to your dishes. However, if you prefer a smoother texture or are using larger, more mature squash, you may choose to peel it.

Place the knife at the point where the neck meets the bulb and, using your other hand, press down on the top of the blade and slice all the way through. Peel the top half using a peeler. Cut off the stem from the top half. Slice the top half into 1/2-inch or 1-inch rounds, then dice the rounds into large chunks.

Don't overcrowd the pan, which can cause the zucchini to steam instead of roast. Unless you have time to salt and drain the zucchini, wait to salt it until after they're cooked so the salt doesn't draw out the moisture in the oven—this can lead to sogginess.