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Cooking kabocha squash in Instant Pot:

I went with using kabocha squash for this recipe because it is one of my favorites. And we all know cutting squash’s is always a battle between the knife and squash LOL. I always feel like I am going to chop my hand off even when using a good quality knife. But I have found the solution, cooking it in the Instant Pot whole!

How to cook in instant pot:

I first give my 5 lb. kabocha squash a good rinse and scrub before adding to my 6 qt. Instant Pot. And then I add 2 cups of water, my silicone trivet (or the trivet it comes with), add the whole kabocha squash to trivet, close instant pot, seal valve, and set to manual high pressure for 20 minutes.

But if you have a smaller squash I would do less time, I’d say deduct about 5 minutes per lb.

Once done cooking:

And once the kabocha squash is done cooking, let the pressure release naturally (about 10-12 minutes). Carefully open the instant pot, carefully grab the handles of trivet and transfer kabocha squash to a cookie tray to cool completely.

And once it’s cooled, peel the skin off, remove the seeds, and mash up with a fork or a potato masher.

How to use cooked kabocha squash?

I honestly haven’t been able to find pumpkin puree at the grocery store and so this cooked kabocha squash will serve as my pumpkin puree for a variety of baked goods. But it is also amazing for making  homemade pumpkin apple butter in the Instant Pot,   frozen in smoothies, or using as a soup.

Storing:

I let the kabocha squash cool completely before storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer. But if you plan on freezing to use in smoothies, I would suggest freezing in silicone ice molds, so that it easier to pop one out to add to smoothies.