Prepping Butternut Squash = Dry Skin?

[tonicart]

I couldn't find a definitive answer about this online, so I hoped you all could help. I was cutting up some butternut squash for a potluck tonight, and i noticed that after I had put everything in the oven, my left hand felt really rigid. This is the hand that held the squash while I peeled it with a ridged vegetable peeler. I've read that peeling it this way and holding it with your bare hand can cause dry skin, but this is beyond dry. It cracks and peels away the top layer of my palm and fingers. I'm not sure, but it seems like a chemical peel? Maybe too much vitamin A? Is this similar to those alpha-hydroxy products that women use on their face and hands? If so... maybe I discovered a cheap face peel? lol

[elfcook]

hmm, not sure, but my daughter has allergic skin reactions to the flesh of pumpkins and some fruit. Her skin gets itchy & red, some cracking & some hives. Maybe an allergy?

[rainey]

That's ODD! There is something in plants in the squash family that makes cut pieces particularly stick together. And I'm sure that's the same stuff that makes your skin feel vaguely shrink wrapped after you've handled a lot of peeled winter squash.

I thought that's what your post would be about. But it sounds much more extreme than that! Like you have an allergy to it or something.

Did using lotion after you discovered this give you any relief?

[paulj]

The effect has been noted before
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/299095
(a thread with posts dating from 2004 to this month).

[tonicart]

Heh, one year later... thanks for the link. I'll try baking the entire squash first next time.

[chrischris]

This happens to me too. Wikipedia has a little bit about it, calling it a type of contact dermatitis. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butternu...

)

After a particularly bad reaction, I now use gloves when peeling and chopping butternut squash.

[rainey]

I hate having gloves on my hand. Another alternative is to split the squash in half lengthwise. Then it will sit stable-ly (is that a word?) on a cutting board so you can draw the peeler along it and chop it into uniform chunks with a minimum of handling.

A stainless ice cream scoop with the sweeper blade is a great way to get the seeds out. The steel edge is strong enough to get down to the flesh and the sweeper blade ejects the seeds into your compost pail without handling.

[jmnewel]

I can't manage wearing gloves and peeling all at the same time, but, since I get this reaction too, I find that it helps if I coat the inside of my hand with olive oil before handling the squash.

[ttoommyy]

Happens to me too with pumpkins as well.

[subarusooz]

I am very glad for the internet! I just finished scooping & chopping a Cinderella pumpkin and a Cheese pumpkin. After 10 minutes or so I noticed my left hand (I'm right handed) was stiff and looked like it was coated with something. So, thinking I had pumpkin goo coating my hand (I thought that in itself was strange) I scrubbed it a few times. But it didn't help so I pulled at it and peeled it off. EWW! I am sure it was skin that I was peeling off as underneath my skin felt kind of smooth and fresh (and slightly sensitive), like it was a layer that just was seeing the light of day. I'm not sure which pumpkin did it but I'm wearing gloves next time! I might have minimized a bigger reaction as I'm very quick to wash my hands after handing gooey guck.

[ttoommyy]

As I mentioned, I've had this happen to me in the past. I recently bought a large butternut squash and prepped it using a pair of food-handler's gloves and that seems to have done the trick. But even in the grocery store after sifting through a few squash with my bare hands, they started feeling dry and a bit cracked. Who knew squash were so evil! lol

[Sal Vanilla]

That happens to me too. Even when I wash my hands off immediately after and when done cooking dinner put cream on it is still odd/dry. When possible I get someone else like my prep cook (Mr. Vanilla) to peel them. Otherwise, I put on my rubber gloves and do it. Yep. Plain old yellow gloves. I would just suffer through it, but my hands are gnarly enough.

[financialdistrictresident]

You might want to try NOT peeling the squash.

tonicart mentioned baking it whole.

I cut the squash in half and steam them face down in the microwave (put a little water in the bottom of the dish). Then I use a grapefruit spoon to scoop out the seeds and cut the squash out (similar to how I would cut up a cantalope) and cook (roast, sautee, steam, etc.). You have to be careful not to steam it too long if you plan to roast it in the oven or it will get too mushy . . .

[ttoommyy]

Sounds like a good solution for some people, but I would still have to use gloves even with this preparation since my skin started to become dry and crack even when touching the squash in the store while choosing one.