Knife for cutting acorn squash

What type of knife would you recommend for cutting acorn squash and turnips. My wife has a hard time trying to cut these and I'm no better. I want to give her a good/cheap knife for her stocking.

IIRC, I watched Alton Brown and he used a big cleaver, and then wacked it on top with a mallet. I can't recall if he used anything to keep the squash from moving around. Perhaps setting it on a folded towel would make it less apt to slip.

Those are tough ones. I usually use a large cleaver on acorn squash, just work it into the squash a little bit and then pound it through with a wood mallet.

yeah good question. I always use my long carving knife and work it back and forth. It's probably not the best way.

Cutting butternut squash is only slightly easier.

Yeh, those squash can be tough. I use my Wusthof 10 inch Chef knife which is pretty heavy. Work it in first in the middle of the knife then push down hard on both ends while keeping my fingers out off the way!

Find a Chicago Cutlery cleaver.
The kind with a hole in the blade.
(It's for hangin' it on a nail )

They have a VERY heavy spine.
(At least ours does)

Corningware/Revere outlets and Kitchen Collection
carry them in our area.

I've seen them as low as $9.99!
Quite a piece of steel for the money.

Make a ring with a damp towel.
Put the squash in the ring.
Place the business end of the cleaver
against the squash and smack it with
a 16 oz. rubber mallet.

Works great for Acorn, Butternut (our fav!) and other
hard skinned veggies.

The spine works like a charm for cracking open coconuts!

Would a machete work?

Oh, Yeah!!

Just do it outside!!

Clean it up real good a beat on it with something
softer than the metal it's made from.
Last time I saw a baseball bat used.

I've seen them used to cut big green papayas
and giant mangos with great success!

Does a number on coconuts as well!

-YB

YardBurner wrote:

Last time I saw a baseball bat used.

I've seen them used to cut big green papayas
and giant mangos with great success!

Does a number on coconuts as well!

-YB

I hate when somebody hits my coconut with a baseball bat.

The more I think about it - maybe what your wife really needs is a good band saw

Sawzall will get it done! I love power tools.

This is starting to sound like a Gallagher show. How would he open the Acorn squash? Keep the ideas coming.

This guys knife should do the trick