Many years ago a family friend hosted a dinner party and started the meal with a delicious lentil curry and acorn squash soup. This was 25 (or more) years ago, yet I still remember that soup because it was the first time I ate the skin of acorn squash. After the first bite, I thought the host was being lazy by not peeling the squash, or that she just made a mistake. But, to my surprise, the squash skin was chewy yet tender, and everyone commented on the lovely texture and flavor of that curry squash soup.
This simple soup from decades ago inspired me all these years later to leave the skins on when making a chunky acorn squash soup. But lately I’ve been wondering, is it actually safe to eat squash skin? I decided to do a deep dive on the topic.
Is Squash Skin Edible?
Certainly I know you can eat the skin on summer squashes, like zucchini, pattypan and yellow summer squash. With their thin skin and watery flesh, leaving the skins on helps give summer squash a pleasantly chewy texture.
But what about heartier winter squashes, with their tough and often rough skins? Most recipes for delicata squash, like this bright and fresh Honey-Glazed Roasted Delicata Squash, call for slicing and roasting the small, yellow-and-green-striped squash unpeeled. But I want to know if all squash skin is safe to eat, not just delicata.
To get an answer, I went to a local farm and chatted with a couple of experts.
“It’s definitely OK to eat squash skin,” Rayna Joyce, vegetable production manager at Bread and Butter Farm in Shelburne, Vermont, told me. “Some (winter) squash have really delicate skins and they become tender when cooked. You can bake them and eat the whole thing.”
Winter squash are harvested from late summer through late fall, then allowed to “cure” in a dry, low-humidity environment, about 70° to 80°F, until the skins are completely dry and hard.
“Curing helps the squash toughen and dry out so you can store it longer,” Joyce said. This process is similar for other storage vegetables like onions, potatoes and garlic.
Winter squash are packed with lots of nutrients. Adding them to your meal rotation is a great way to get fiber, along with vitamins A and C, potassium and antioxidants. Consider that 1 cup of baked butternut squash, one of the most popular varieties of winter squash, provides 160% of your daily recommended value of vitamin A, along with 7 grams of fiber—and if you eat the peel, you’ll get a little extra.
When Should You Peel Winter Squash?
From a culinary perspective, deciding whether to remove the skin on winter squash all depends on the desired texture of the final product, according to Mike Proia, owner and chef of Blank Page Cafe at Bread and Butter Farm in Shelburne, Vermont.
“Squash skin is pretty robust and thick for a reason; it’s meant to be stored. But the skin is edible. If it’s cooked down, it becomes palatable,” he said.
Proia sources much of the produce for his gluten-free baked goods, take-home meals and catering events from the farm (which is literally right outside his door), so he’s very familiar with turning fresh produce into delicious meals. He uses the farm’s assortment of squash throughout the winter. And he removes the skin only if it will interfere with the texture of the dish.
“Roasting and braising can break down the skin really well,” he said. “The skin can actually add a nice texture.” Like when making roasted butternut rings or acorn squash wedges, he likes to leave the skins on for texture, similar to leaving the skin on roasted delicata rings.
But, he said, there are times you wouldn’t want the chewiness of the skin to interfere with the texture of the dish. “If you make mashed butternut squash, the skin could add an unpleasant texture,” because the skin will be chewy in an otherwise smooth puree, he explained.
Perhaps the best variety for eating the skin, in addition to delicata, is honeynut. They look like mini butternut squash and are particularly sweet. Honeynut squash are especially delicious roasted with a little cinnamon and butter.
The only winter squash skin to avoid eating altogether, even if well cooked, is spaghetti squash because of its thick, eggshell-like quality.
Bottom Line
Next time you roast a squash like acorn, butternut or honeynut, try leaving the skins on and give them a nibble. Be sure to scrub the skin well, Joyce recommends, to remove any dirt or debris. The pleasantly chewy texture may just surprise you, plus you can never go wrong with more fiber.
“It's definitely OK to eat squash skin,” Rayna Joyce, vegetable production manager at Bread and Butter Farm in Shelburne, Vermont, told me. “Some (winter) squash
winter) squash
Winter squash is an annual fruit representing several squash species within the genus Cucurbita. Late-growing, less symmetrical, odd-shaped, rough or warty varieties, small to medium in size, but with long-keeping qualities and hard rinds, are usually called winter squash.
All squash skin is edible. However, in the same way you wouldn't eat a banana peel, edible doesn't necessarily mean you want to eat it. Some squash has thin skin that's tasty and tender, while others have a tough shell that even cooked is chewy and stringy.
Wofford and our test kitchen editors will leave the skin on delicata, acorn, and honeynut squash to save time, add nutrients, and reduce food waste. These varieties have thin skins that soften readily when cooked. Next time you slice a delicata into rings ready to roast, don't peel it.
Some squash skin is edible, while other types of squash have tough skin that can be removed before cooking. Remove the skin of butternut, hubbard, buttercup, and turban squash. If you enjoy the taste, leave the skin on acorn, spaghetti, kabocha, and zucchini squash.
Zucchini, yellow squash, and crookneck squash all have completely edible skin and seeds. Pattypan squash generally has edible skin, but the larger the squash the tougher the skin is. Take the time to roast a larger pattypan so the skin becomes softer, and you may want to remove the large seeds.
A squash with soft spots and is soft to the touch, is a sign that the squash has gone bad. And if it starts to leak fluid, that's a sure sign that the squash is spoiled. Likewise, if the flesh and seeds of the fruit are mushy and slimy, that's a clear sign that it shouldn't be eaten.
Almost every part of the squash plant is edible, including the leaves, tendril shoots, stems, flowers, seeds, and fruit. Squash has also been grown to be used as containers (dried gourds).
Vegetables are superfoods for detoxification and gut health, particularly green leafy, cruciferous, and squash varieties that contain unique plant chemicals. Be sure to include them in your daily diet, and during a cleanse.
It is also a good source of vitamin C and trigonelline, which help maintain blood glucose stability and assist in hypoglycemic function. Additionally, squash peel contributes calcium and weight-loss products, which can help increase bone density and reduce weight respectively.
It turns out that the skin of kabocha and acorn squash is great for roasting and snacking. These crispy squash skin chips are perfect for seasoning and snacking. Seasoned with salt and a tiny bit of cumin and cinnamon, they make a perfect savory fall treat.
Wash squash in cold water to remove all visible signs of soil. Handle carefully as summer squash bruise easily. You can store summer squash at 45-55 degrees F (or in your refrigerator crisper drawer) for 2-4 days.
Beta-carotene in squash, for example, supports skin health by fighting damage done to the skin by free radicals. For context, free radicals are a type of harmful molecule that can build up in cells and cause damage to things like DNA and proteins. Beta-carotene also supports the growth and turnover of new skin cells.
Technically, all winter squash skin is edible. "It's just a question of texture. There's no danger in consuming the skin—some just taste better than others," says Romano. The thicker the skin, the greater chance it will remain tough to chew even after it's cooked.
“It's definitely OK to eat squash skin,” Rayna Joyce, vegetable production manager at Bread and Butter Farm in Shelburne, Vermont, told me. “Some (winter) squash have really delicate skins and they become tender when cooked. You can bake them and eat the whole thing.”
This squash has a lot of antioxidants, which can boost your immunity and help your body to fight off certain diseases. Acorn squash contains antioxidants like vitamin C that help strengthen bones and blood vessels. It also has vitamin A, which helps improve the health of your lungs, heart and other vital organs.
Examples of hard-skinned squash that should not be eaten raw include: pumpkins, delicate, butternut, Hubbard, and acorn. It's important to note that while gourds are in the same family as squash, most are grown for decorative purposes and are not edible. But it doesn't mean hard-skinned squash is purely decorative.
Others may feel “tingly hands or 'burning' skin after touching squash,” Rabach adds. In the most severe cases, where blistering of the skin occurs, scarring or some skin discoloration could linger after the reaction has passed. Either way, squash hands will “eventually clear up on their own,” Rabach says.
Introduction: My name is Wyatt Volkman LLD, I am a handsome, rich, comfortable, lively, zealous, graceful, gifted person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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