Acorn squash can be the perfect addition to vegetable dishes, most commonly loved for its sweet taste and wonderful, creamy texture. One of the biggest challenges when it comes to cooking this vegetable is that acorn squashes can be quite hard when not cooked right. So let us help you out, listed below are some great tips on how to cook acorn squash – the right way, and how to turn your boring vegetable dishes into something you would look forward having!
• The very first challenges cooks meet in acorn squash cooking is the slicing- acorn squash has a very sturdy body that will require a good sharp knife. A good technique that you can do is to pierce the entire body first, soften it by putting the vegetable in the microwave for one or two minutes and letting it cool down before cutting. After cooling, cut the entire body in a longitudinal manner (stem side down).
• Acorn squash are usually served with its shell on because its ribbed shape makes it very hard peel. But if you need the fleshy part alone, then you can cook the entire vegetable first – and remove the skin until it is tender enough to be scooped out.
• Boiling is a no-no in acorn squash since it can destroy the color and the flavor of the vegetable.
• If you want to cook the acorn squash whole, you can simply pop it in the microwave for one and a half hours at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. But before doing so, do not forget to pierce the vegetable all around its body to ensure that all of the heat gets completely inside the flesh. So how to know when you’re done? A thoroughly cooked vegetable will yield to very tender pressure. And once it’s done, you can let it cool and cut the entire vegetable in half.
• If you happen to buy a stringy squash, then do not worry. You can remove all of that string by simply putting it in the mixer for 20 minutes – first at high speed and switch to medium or low speed for the last 10 minutes.
Cooking acorn squash the right way is the key to making that perfect vegetable dish. So do not forget to follow these easy tips when cooking!
