One More from the Tool Box

[obillo]

I have seen people do some really risky things when faced with cutting truly stubborn vegetables--butternut squash, for horrible example. I have seen a man what his way halfway through the neck of a butternut and then slam down on the spine of the knife with his open palm. It hurts, and beyond that there's risk of a severe cut if the the hand slides down the spine to the point, Laying a wadded dish cloth over the knife to protect the hand is even riskier. You can't really see well and the cloth introduces even more slipperiness. Wen I saw a guy reach for a carpenter's hammer I turned chicken and simply fled the room.

Yes, blunt-force trauma is required but the solution is a 1-lb rubber tire mallet from the auto-supply store.

 

[blissful]

Butternut squash are one of the hardest squashes to peel and cube. I will do it but I don't like it.
I prefer to wash them and bake them, deseed them, and scrape out the flesh to use. It works for pies or a layer in a thanksgiving casserole. It doesn't work for cubes in soup or stew.
We are growing 5 types (or more) of squash this year. I'm trying to look at it was an adventure.

 

[Andy M.]

Butternut squash are one of the hardest squashes to peel and cube. I will do it but I don't like it.
I prefer to wash them and bake them, deseed them, and scrape out the flesh to use. It works for pies or a layer in a thanksgiving casserole. It doesn't work for cubes in soup or stew.
We are growing 5 types (or more) of squash this year. I'm trying to look at it was an adventure.

I do this too. Roast them whole, open, scoop and season.

 

[obillo]

More recently I've discovered that scooping the seeds out with a spoon is the worst way to do it. I now use an ice-cream scoop.

 

[blissful]

I ran across this information on the canning group. To peel a difficult squash/pumpkin, cut it in half, microwave it flat side down for 2-3 minutes. Check the skin with a skewer to see if it is softer, if not, microwave it a little longer, check again. Then peel it and it will come off much easier.
In canning squash, only chunks are allowed, not mashed which is too dense for canning.
I haven't tried it yet but I will try it.

 

[Jusa]

Ixnay on squash, so my only challenge is chopping carrots and that's no big deal unless I am at one of those resort condos with kitchens that usually have awfully dull knives. I have learned to bring my own.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

@Jusa I take my own knives when we travel, too. A couple Christmases ago our daughter got me a knife roll. If you don't have one, I recommend that it goes on your "gift wish list".

Mine is similar to this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Cutlery-Holders-Protectors-Kitchen-HGJ60-C/dp/B07HQN1XV2/ref=asc_df_B07HQN1XV2/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309930529159&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3634758726422266784&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9001832&hvtargid=pla-573428956968&psc=1

 

[Andy M.]

When we had a timeshare in Aruba, I'd pack a chef's knife, a paring knife and a steel. The knives the timeshare provided were a joke. The cookware too but that's another story.

 

[LPBeier]

Andy, when we cooked at a camp a few years ago I took all my knives with me and would keep them in my room when we weren't on duty. The staff were brutal on knives!

 

[Kathleen]

+1 for traveling with our knives in a roll.

 

[larry_stewart]

Years ago, my assistants. knew I was into cooking, so as a. gift they got me a set of knifes. They weren't what I'd normally use in the kitchen, but we would rent a house in Maine each summer, so they became our ' Maine Knives" and always made the trip up with us.