How To Clean Yellow Squash

Learning how to clean squash is easy and quick. You can use yellow squash in a variety of recipes! Check out how to clean yellow squash below for tips, tricks, and frequently asked questions.

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Do I need to peel yellow squash?

You actually don’t need to peel yellow squash. Summer squash as they are also called, have a tender skin that you can cook as part of the squash.

That being said if you are very averse to the squash skin you can peel it like you would a potato.

Just use a peeler and remove the skin. If it seems too tough for that you can use a knife and carefully slice the outer skin away!

How to clean the outside of the yellow squash:

If you are not going to use the squash right away you can just remove any dirt or debris with a soft cloth.

Carefully brush away any dirt from the garden and store the squash in a cool dry place. They do great unwashed in a zip top bag in the refrigerator.

If you are ready to prepare the squash for a meal, you can rinse the yellow squash in cool running water. Rub away any spots of dirt with your fingers while the water runs!

Do not use a veggie brush or potato brush on summer squash, it’s thin skin punctures easily and the stiff brush is unnecessary for getting the squash clean!

Now that the squash is clean you can dry it off or let it dry on the counter!

How to clean yellow squash to eat it!

Now we have a clean yellow squash we can break it down for use in recipes or baking, sautéing, etc.

First you need to slice off the stem and the butt of the squash. They can be tossed, they’re not edible.

Now you can cut the squash in half long ways. It’s the easiest way to slice it thin or bake it in large pieces. You can scoop out the seeds this way too!

The seeds in summer squash are tender and small so they don’t typically require removal but again, if you are averse to them just scoop them out with a spoon!

Now you are ready to use the yellow squash in your favorite recipes! If you need one to try, use it in this yellow squash casserole!

How to tell when yellow squash are ripe:

If you are growing yellow squash at home you may be wondering when to harvest these tasty summer beauties.

Before you can learn how to clean yellow squash you have to pick a ripe one…yellow squash should be firmly attached to the vine and feel firm to the touch. The skin should be bright and look even throughout the body of the squash.

The squash will feel pretty heavy for its size, that’s normal!

How long do summer squash last?

They will only last about 3-5 days maybe a bit longer if you pick them before they’re truly ripe. You can prepare the squash and freeze your favorite recipes.

Another great idea is to prep them and freeze them so you can enjoy them throughout the winter months when summer veggies are hard to find!