• General food and cooking questions, discussion, and recipes. To blog your food or to create (or post in) a community food thread, please post in Post Your Eats!

Any Tips for Cutting Hard Squash?

I like to get pie-size pumpkins, slice them thinly, then dehydrate the slices. But this year I've rather met my match with a pumpkin that was hard as a rock. I could not make a dent in it with my sharpest knife, and the veggie peeler simply complained loudly and let me know it was going to break if I continued with it. Ok..... so I finally boiled the thing for a few minutes, turning it in the water from time to time. Fine. Dandy. I managed to get an ultra-fine sliver of the peel off after this. Next step - boil it again. Long story short is that I was ultimately able to cut the darned thing into quarters. And I managed to do so without damaging the cutting board, the counter, or myself. The knife may be duller, but the sharpener will take care of that.
 
Still, the cured rind is still attached. I can slide my thumb (with difficulty) between that and the flesh and break off small pieces. But frankly, only so much. I finally decided that we are having pumpkin with hot peppers as part of dinner. The heck with getting the rest of the rind off - this baby will be nuked. I've been at this for an hour and a half, fuggetaboutit. 
 
Do any of you have tips or tricks for cutting open a particularly-hard pumpkin? Yes, it must still be edible at the end of the process!  ;) Yes, I seriously entertained the idea of using the table saw or the miter saw, but nixed those options already. Hmm.... maybe my Dremel with a fresh cutting disc on it..... 
 
Not like I'm an expert on pumpkins but this sounds like the type you have to set right on top or inside a bed of coals and let it go for awhile. Hopefully someone else has a better idea.
 
Yeah, if all I wanted to do was cook it, that would be fine. But my express goal is to slice and dehydrate it, as-is. But I have to admit it was a tasty, if unexpected, side for dinner. Lots o' butter, chipotle chile powder and ginger added for double-scrumptiousness.
 
Thanks guys! I like the idea of using a jigsaw for carving those big jack-o'-lantern pumpkins. I'll have to look into getting one of those.
 
You need a food saw. There a knives that take serration to the next level...
Even a hack-saw from the hardware store will work, just be sure to wash all of the oils off of it, as they are oiled to prevent rusting. 
 
$_1.JPG

 
saw_racker_378.jpg

 
handy-hacksaw_p_607134_19043.jpg

 
076812069207lg.jpg
 
Well, attempt number two will happen this weekend. And maybe attempts number 3 and 4, as well...  :lol:
 
I dunno - how many pumpkins can I use in the next year or so? As we say in Texas, we're fixin' to find out!
 
Funny - the guy operating the machine has at least minimal safety equipment on (ears, eyes), but no one else does! 
 
Back
Top