butternut squash - how to weigh/peel

[Thimbleberries]

If a recipe calls for 900g of butternut squash, peeled and chopped, does that mean 900g of the peeled stuff, or 900g of the whole squash, that I then peel and chop?
I know it might not matter too much, as the weights aren't that precise, but I don't really know how much the skin and seeds etc would weight, and haven't made this recipe before.

I usually just buy a box of the pre-chopped stuff, as I have problems with my hands and think that peeling it sounds difficult, but not sure I will be able to get to a supermarket that does those - my nearest is just a local one with whole squashes. The pre-chopped boxes have a weight on them that is the chopped weight, and I"m guessing that's probably what the recipe is doing to, but I don't know. It's to go in a pie so I don't think it's supposed to be roasted first.

Can I use a veg peeler on it, or do I have to do it with a knife as the skin is so thick? Is a chopped whole squash actually nicer tasting than the pre-chopped stuff?

I've got hand problems as well, so I've switched to the pre-chopped frozen squash. I don't think there's any difference in flavour, but I'd pre-roast it before using in a pie.

I’d roast the whole squash first, it’s a thousand times easier to peel and chop it once it’s at least partly cooked. Then weigh your peeled chopped stuff.

Seconding roasting the squash first.

You can actually eat the peel if you want to. It's really thin. Not for all squashes, but definitely for butternut.

Def easier to use frozen, or roast whole and then scoop the cooked bits out, than it is to peel.
I peel it (raw) fine using a good peeler, but I don't have hand issues.

If you roast the squash you don't actually need to peel it. The peel actually goes very soft after cooking and you can simply eat it along with the flesh.

I don't orecook mine, I just lay it down and peel with a normal veg peeler. Using a knife is much more difficult. Then once peeled cut in half in the middle, the top half without seeds is then easy to chop up. Then bottom half cut in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Then that half is easier to chop as its not so dense.

If the recipe calls for it raw then I find this the easiest way.

I've just read the recipe again, and it does involve roasting it, so maybe I can roast it first for a while, then peel, then drizzle with the oil and spices that the recipe calls for.

Didn't know you could get frozen chopped stuff though, haven't seen that before, but never really looked. I've just seen the little tubs of fresh stuff.

Wasn't sure if roasting it would change the weight, depending how much liquid is in it and whether it comes out/evaporates.

So consensus is weigh it after peeling/deseeing, and use the weight the recipe calls for of that.

Do I need to do anything to it at that stage, just roasting it to make it easier to peel? Or just chop it in half and bung it on a tray in the oven for a while?

I don’t and have never peeled a butternut squash, it’s so much tastier with it on

As a tip, I find the easiest way to chop it is to lay it lengthways and then rock your knife back and forth over it with medium pressure, that easily slices it. Then do each half down the centre in the same way

Frozen butternut squash chunks will change your life, OP

I use a big knife and cut in into slices, roast it and then it is very soft to cut away from the skin.

Might be worth heading to the big supermarket for... :)

I just Chuck the squash into a roasting tin whole, no need to slice it. Some people stab the squash a few times in the biggest bit, to let steam escape, but I don’t bother.

Would you minding posting link to recipe @Thimbleberries?

Thanks. The recipe is the BBC spiced moroccan pie, which I saw a link on a thread here some days ago. I thought I'd try it at some point over the holidays as I want to have a nice meal for a vegetarian when I'm allowed to have them over for dinner again. But my local shop doesn't have things like filo pastry etc, so it will depend when I go to the big shops!

sorry, that's BBC Good Food site, not just BBC