Ask LJ: butternut squash

[cowgrrl]

I am in the process of making the butternut squash soup I'd intended to make a week ago (for a snowed-out event.) I'd bought pre-cut butternut squash - already peeled and cut in half. I chopped up the first piece, no problem. When I picked up the second piece it was all slimy, eww!! I threw it out, obviously. But here's my question: since both pieces were in the same wrapper, is the non-slimy piece ok? If I boil it for a long time (which I will be doing, obviously) will it be ok? I don't want to poison myself or anyone else.

Comments

[quezz.livejournal.com]

If you are making this soup for your consumption, I don't think you have to worry. When the soup boils, very little is going to survive that.

If you are making it for a large group of guests, then I would exercise caution. It's better to be safe than sorry when cooking for others. I know I've been in situations like this before, and that's always been my solution. I've never gotten sick from it, and nor has anyone else so far as I know.

[cowgrrl.livejournal.com]

I'm making it to bring to a dinner tomorrow. I've just had a small serving of it. If it doesn't make me sick I'm going to assume it's fine to eat. I have a more sensitive stomach than most people. (And the small amount I ate was delicious!)

[rbud.livejournal.com]

Don't use the other half
I dont know about the poison part!
But I do know it's favor will be affected.

[cowgrrl.livejournal.com]

The slimy half smelled bad -- I threw it out. Whereas the other half smelled fine, felt fine (as I was cutting it) etc.

[roaming.livejournal.com]

It's a bit late to respond, but I asked my neighbor, the country boy, and he said: scrape off the "slime" it's not "poisonous." It's probably fine underneath. And when you cook the stuff you kill anything that would make you sick. Butternut squash is pretty hardy stuff, which is why our ancestors without refridgeration kept it in "cold cellars" for use all winter, months after it was picked.

[cowgrrl.livejournal.com]

Thank you -- that's reassuring to know! I did throw out the slimy half, but it sounds likely that the good half is fine. At any rate, I just ate a small amount of it. I am testing it on myself before I serve it to others tomorrow. (And it was yummy! :-) )

[awfief.livejournal.com]

Even if it is mold, it's like cheese or bread mold or the bad parts of fruit -- cut out/off the bad part, rinse the rest, smell the rest, and if it smells good, you're good to go.

[cowgrrl.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I do that with cheese all the time. :-)