John Myers
Hello, autumn, and hello Hokkaido! It’s time for pumpkin soup, pumpkin bread, and whatever your pumpkin heart desires. But not every pumpkin has to be peeled for preparation. Here we explain whether you have to peel the Hokkaido pumpkin or not.
Peel Hokkaido pumpkin?
The Hokkaido pumpkin is one of the most popular squash. This is due to its delicious, slightly nutty aroma and the uncomplicated preparation. Pumpkin varieties, such as butternut squash, often have to be peeled due to their hard skin. The peel can lead to stomach problems and is often not particularly tasty. You can save this step with Hokkaido. Here you can leave the bowl on without any worries. The thin shell becomes nice and soft during cooking, is easy to digest, and can be eaten along with it. You won’t even notice them while eating.
Tip: You don’t have to peel the Hokkaido for baby food either. The skin becomes just as soft as the pumpkin flesh and can be easily pureed.
Healthy aromatic peel
The Hokkaido pumpkin and especially its peel contain a lot of potassium, magnesium, and beta-carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in your body. With vitamin A you protect your eyes from visual disturbances and also do something good for your skin, hair, bones, and teeth.
The peel not only contains important vitamins but also gives your dish an even stronger pumpkin aroma. So if you decide not to peel your Hokkaido pumpkin, the nutty pumpkin taste will be even more intense.
Prepare Hokkaido
Since you don’t have to peel the Hokkaido pumpkin, you should wash it all the more thoroughly and ideally buy an organic pumpkin, because dirt residue and pesticides don’t stand a chance. You can easily cut out damage to the shell with a knife. To wash, you can hold it under running water and clean it with your hands or a vegetable brush. For further preparation, proceed as follows:
- Halve Hokkaido with a sharp knife
- remove the seeds with a spoon
- Depending on the dish, cut into strips or cubes
