How to peel a pineapple/a butternut squash

The processes of removing the hard outside of a pineapple and the tough outer peel of a butternut squash are remarkably similar. I've seen so much bad advice for both out there that I will provide the authoritative method for both items of produce:

- Choose a pineapple that is sweet to the smell and already yellowy-brown on the outside. For a butternut squash, find one that has a mostly even, regular shape throughout (less bell-shaped, more hourglass).
- Remove both the top and bottom. Discard.
- With a very sharp knife and steely nerves, slice the peel off going from top to bottom. (On an irregularly-shaped squash, you may have to cut the squash into two pieces first.) I cannot stress enough the importance of a heavy, sharp knife for this. Dull or weak knives will chop up the peel/flesh and make the job interminably long.

**Don't be afraid of losing some of the edible flesh as you remove the peel--this will happen, and cutting too closely will only result in a sloppy chop job that you'll have to repair with many mini-slices later on. Using strong, authoritative cuts down the length of the item will produce the best result at a minimum of time and effort.**

- Halve the produce.
- For the squash, scoop out the seeds and cut into desired pieces. For the pineapple, cut the halves in half, then remove the core of the pineapple that is too tough to eat. Cut the remaining fruit as desired.

See? You don't have to pre-steam the squash or try to remove the pineapple rind off of too-small pieces. Both items of produce are delicious and deserve to be enjoyed with minimal effort, and it's far more economical for both items to buy them whole and peel them yourself. Get your knives out and get going.