How to Cook Fresh Butternut Squash

Overview

Butternut squash is a variety of winter squash with a hard, tan outer skin and an inside filled with seeds, fiber and soft squash. Gardeners who grow butternut squash may harvest squash that are as large as one foot long and six inches wide. Store butternut squash in a cool, dry location for approximately one month. When you are ready to prepare your butternut squash, bake it in the oven or microwave, and then add butter and maple syrup to taste before serving.

Step 1

Wash the butternut squash in cool water and dry it with paper towel.

Step 2

Place the butternut squash onto the cutting board and slice it in half lengthwise. Use the large spoon to remove the seeds and fiber from the center of the butternut squash.

Step 3

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place both butternut squash halves into the ceramic baking dish, with the cut sides facing up. Place the dish in the oven and bake for approximately 40 minutes. Remove the squash and insert a fork into the squash to make sure the squash is finished cooking. If the fork pierces the squash easily, the squash is sufficiently cooked.

Step 4

Serve the squash with butter and maple syrup. Use the serving spoon to scrape the cooked squash from the outer rinds and mix it with as much butter and maple syrup as you desire.