This is a very Scottish custom too - called a Neepie Lantern.
You need a large turnip (what the English call a swede) and a sharp, strong knife, and also a spoon. In my family we used a robust old serving spoon, which had usefully sharp edges. You should be prepared for really sore hands!
Slice the top off, then carve a cone out of the middle, then carve away as much more using the knife as you can. Resign yourself to a LOT of scraping. We used to find that between two children and one parent, one large neep was as much as we could manage.
Be aware that when you light a candle in it, you will get a strong smell of burned turnip, and that it will rot fast. Still, I would never dream of using anything else... Authentic smell of a Scottish childhood!
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Date: 2008-10-21 05:15 pm (UTC)You need a large turnip (what the English call a swede) and a sharp, strong knife, and also a spoon. In my family we used a robust old serving spoon, which had usefully sharp edges. You should be prepared for really sore hands!
Slice the top off, then carve a cone out of the middle, then carve away as much more using the knife as you can. Resign yourself to a LOT of scraping. We used to find that between two children and one parent, one large neep was as much as we could manage.
Be aware that when you light a candle in it, you will get a strong smell of burned turnip, and that it will rot fast. Still, I would never dream of using anything else... Authentic smell of a Scottish childhood!