How to Roast Any Winter Squash

I adore squash, especially kabocha, and your method is about ten times easier than what I was doing, which means I'll eat it more often. So thank you!

I adore squash, especially kabocha, and your method is about ten times easier than what I was doing. So thank you!

Great video. I agree with "chezmom", tapping the knife with a rubber mallet is the best (and safest) way to split a squash of any kind.

Great video. I agree with "chezmom", tapping the knife with a rubber mallet is the best (and safest) way to split a squash of any kind.

Video was terrific. I look forward to trying it your way. The only thing I would do differently is in the cutting of the squash. I microwave the squash for about 18 seconds before I cut it. I'm really afraid I'll hurt myself cutting the squash when it's that hard. The microwave softens it slightly enough that I feel safe when I cut it.

Video was terrific. I look forward to trying it your way. The only thing I would do differently is in the cutting of the squash. I microwave the squash for about 18 seconds before I cut it. I'm really afraid I'll hurt myself cutting the squash when it's that hard. The microwave softens it slightly enough that I feel safe when I cut it.

Video was terrific. I look forward to trying it your way. The only thing I would do differently is in the cutting of the squash. I microwave the squash for about 18 seconds before I cut it. I'm really afraid I'll hurt myself cutting the squash when it's that hard. The microwave softens it slightly enough that I feel safe when I cut it.

Video was terrific. The only thing I would do differently is in the cutting of the squash. I microwave the squash for about 18 seconds before I cut it. I'm really afraid I'll hurt myself cutting the squash when it's that hard. The microwave softens it slightly enough that I feel safe when I cut it.

Video was terrific. The only thing I would do differently is in the cutting of the squash. I microwave the squash for about 18 seconds before I cut it. I'm really afraid I'll hurt myself cutting the squash when it's that hard. The microwave softens it slightly enough that I feel safe when I cut it.

This is exactly the way I've always done it. Here's a minor refinement: In the fall, when I cannot get enough butternut squash, I put one (or two!!) in the oven while baking a loaf of bread at 375 degrees F. When the bread comes out, fifty minutes or so later, I turn the oven off, and leave the squash in the oven for at least another hour as the oven cools down. The squash is perfectly cooked. I find that the smaller one (less than 2 pounds) are tastier than the larger ones -- which is why I often have two roasting at once. When not making bread, I roast at 425 for about 50 minutes (typically while roasting a spatchcocked chicken). ;o)

Thanks for the tip. I roasted butternut squash last night and left the seeds i;, I can't believe how sweet it was. My granddaughters had seconds......which is a first !

Thanks for the heads up about the stem. Also, it's now clear when the squash is done - "fork slides right in" is a good yardstick. Sometimes I've had to stab it in a bit and wasn't sure. I was really looking for a way not to have to stab at the hard squash with a knife and risk stabbing myself in the process, alas. I recently though read in my paper's food section that you can pre-nuke squashes for 3-5 min.

I'm so lazy I just poke holes in the squash with a sharp knife and throw it on the charcoal grill. If I do several I freeze it in portions so it's ready to use when I want/need bread, cheesecake etc.

Wish I could have all the time back that I've spent scooping seeds out of squash pre-roasting. Thanks for the great tip. And I second mrslarkin, this was great, would love to see more videos!

Wish I could have all the time back that I've spent scooping seeds out of squash pre-roasting. Thanks for the great tip. And I second mrslarkin, this was great, would love to see more videos!

Wish I could have all the time back that I've spent scooping seeds out of squash pre-roasting. Thanks for the great tip. And I second mrslarkin, this was great, would love to see more videos!

Thanks for the video --I wish I'd seen it sooner. I loved your casual confidence regarding the "mystery" squash. It may just be me being deaf, but was anyone else straining to hear?

Thanks for the video --I wish I'd seen it sooner. I loved your casual confidence regarding the "mystery" squash. It may just be me being deaf, but was anyone else straining to hear?

Hello Amanda and Merrill,

You mention "freshness" at the beginning of this wonderful video - and I wanted to add a little more knowledge.

Once winter squash has reached full size in the field, and is ready to harvest, the squash must be cut with a sizable piece of the stem attached to the gourd. Then, a winter squash must "season" - if the climate is dry where it grew, it can season or dry out a bit in the field. If not, the squash must be brought into a dry location. Either way, that piece of stem attached to the gourd is necessary for good seasoning. The reason you don't want to purchase a stemless squash is for that reason - the stem is necessary for good seasoning.

With regards to "freshness" of winter squash - the better the seasoning, the longer lasting the squash, as winter squash requires a dry environment and a fairly high temperature (as well as the attached stem) to season well.

I would recommend developing a relationship with a good conscientious farmer who knows how to care for post-harvested squash. If it is seasoned well, brought home and kept in a warm environment, winter squash will keep all the way into spring.

Hope this information is helpful !

Goodfoodstuffs

If you use a rubber mallet to tap the top edge of your knife down through to the bottom (tap more toward the handle end of the blade as it disappears into the squash) it's much easier to pull the knife out. I have a box full of squash from my CSA, can't wait to start roasting and scooping!