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How Much Does A Butternut Squash Weigh? (Useful Information & Cooking Tips)

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Of all the winter squashes, we love butternut as it is one of the most common and versatile. This food plant is firm enough to hold its shape in many dishes yet purées stunningly in others.

It gives us just enough sweetness and flavor to be incredibly appealing, but not so much to the point that it tastes like dessert.

But before you can whip up mouth-watering butternut squash dishes, there is something you should know. How much does a butternut squash weigh? Knowing the answer to this question helps you nail the exact amount of butternut for any recipe you have in mind. 

Gourd Vegetable Produce Butternut Squash Food
Butternut Squash via Maxpixel

What Is Butternut Squash? 

Butternut squash is botanically categorized as Cucurbita moschata and belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family and pumpkins and gourds.

It is one of the most popular varieties of pumpkin or winter squash. In New Zealand and Australia, this vegetable is also known as gramma or butternut pumpkin. 

Butter squash has a distinctive sweet, nutty flavor and bright orange flesh. It is shaped like a bottle and has a long neck and a bulbous end. Unfortunately, the pale beige-colored skin is inedible, so you always need to peel it to get the flesh. 

The most common way to cook this vegetable is to toast it. However, butternut squash can also be grilled, steamed, simmered, and cooked in the microwave.

Butternut squash soup is perhaps the most popular dish. Otherwise, you can puree your butternut and serve it as a side dish, like mashed potatoes. 

This vegetable is also suitable as a pie filling, an amazing ingredient in pasta dishes, casseroles, pizza topping, and risotto dishes. When it comes to pasta, pureed butternut makes an amazing ravioli filling!

Nutrition facts:

A serving of butternut squash contains around 363 calories, 1g fat, 95g carbs, and 8g protein. 

How Much Does A Butternut Squash Weigh? 

Many butternut squash recipes, from winter squash soup, butternut squash risotto to butternut squash puree, lists the amount of butter squash required by gram or pound. Sometimes, you may want to measure this winter squash in cups. 

How many grams are in a butternut squash? The average butternut squash weighs 2-3 pounds. Remove the peels and the seeds inside, and squash can lose 2-3 ounces. That said, you can come across a butter squash that weighs as little as 1 pound and as much as 7 pounds.

How Much Does A Butternut Squash Weigh 2
Butternut Squash via Maxpixel

On average, a 3-pound squash equals 4 ½ cups of raw cubes (1 inch). A 2-pound squash can yield around 3 cups of raw cubes, and a small 1-pound squash often yields 1 ½ cups of squash cubes. 

In terms of servings, most recipes for 4 to 6 people require from 1 to 2 pounds of butternut squash or a small-sized squash. If you cook for a crowd, double that amount. 

How To Peel And Cut A Butternut Squash

Step 1: Cut off the ends

Slice off the squash around ¼ inch from the bottom and continue to slice around ¼ inch from the stem end. 

Step 2: Peel the squash

Hold the squash in place with one hand. Next, use your dominant hand to hold the vegetable peeler and remove the inedible skin of the squash. Alternatively, you can let the squash in an upright position and use downward strokes to peel off the skin. 

Step 3: Cut it in half

Keep it upright on an even surface. If you feel the squash wobbly, chances are the bottom is not even, so slice it thinly to even it out. 

Use a sharp, heavy chef’s knife to make a long cut down the middle (from the top all the way to the bottom). 

In case the squash is tough to divide. Insert the knife and use a rubber mallet to tap its end and force it to go down the squash. 

Step 4: Remove the seeds

Scrape the seeds and the stringy pulp out with a spoon. You can make tasty toasted pumpkin seeds as a snack if you want. 

Depending on the recipes, you may want to cut your squash into big pieces or cubes in the next steps. 

How To Store Butternut Squash?

Butternut squash can be good for 3 months if stored in a cool, dry place and away from direct sunlight. 

If you slice it into cubes, you can keep it in the fridge between 3 to 4 days. After that, you can cook the squash and then freeze it to keep it longer. Frozen squash can be good to eat for up to a year. 

Butternut Squash Health Benefits

Reduce the risk of cancer

Studies have shown that butternut is packed with certain antioxidants, including vitamin C and carotenoid, which can prevent some kinds of cancer. 

This research, for example, pointed out that participants who had the highest intake of beta-carotene, have 24% lower risk of lung cancer than those having the lowest intake of this substance. 

Manage diabetes

High-fiber diets are beneficial for people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes because they improve blood sugar. 

Improve digestive health

Butternut squash can improve digestion and prevent constipation. However, 100g of baked squash typically contains 2g of fiber, which equates to 7% of the advisable fiber intake for adults. 

Boost immune system  

High in vitamin C and beta-carotene, this plant food can improve your immune system. 

Support weight loss

Because this vegetable is low in calories and high in fibers, it is a perfect choice for those on a diet. The sweet taste, which resembles a sweet potato, also helps to tempt your appetite. 


Conclusion

We hope this article gives you the answer to “How much does a butternut squash weigh?”. Preparing butternut is not that hard, but knowing how to calculate a squash into cups, pounds, and grams helps you nail your recipes!