A question for the "Old Skool" Welsh and Irish on my f-list

[xiphias]

So, let's say that I had turnips around to make stew with, and it's also getting on toward Halloween, and as I usually peel turnips to put into stews anyway, I started thinking about making an Old School jack-o-lantern out of one or two of 'em.

'Cause, well, I am.

(Jack-o-lanterns used to be made from turnips. They switched to pumpkins in the New World, because pumpkins are like a million times easier to carve.)

How would I go about hollowing out a turnip?

First, since I've got both (they taste different, and I like to have both in my stew), should I use the large yellow turnip (aka rutabaga or swede), or the smaller purple-top turnips?

Second, how do I get the insides out? I'm figuring "stab with a knife and scoop out with a grapefruit spoon" -- are there any better ideas, or is that about the state of the art?

Comments

[amysuemom.livejournal.com]

Use the bigger ones, cut off top and I'm not sure how well a melon baller would work, I just try and get as much out with really sharp knife as I can and hope that this year I don't slip and cut myself.

We go a little overboard with the carving of pumpkins, gourds and yes, turnips and other interesting veggies. We line all down the side of our driveway garden (which is raised on a retaining stone wall) and along the front if we have enough.

Last year my favorite(s) was a really large pumpkin that I carved with wicked teeth, he had a smaller jack-o-lantern in his mouth a a few more running away "screaming". Heh. My husband goes for the more elaborate fancy carving. The kids mix it up and don't overthink the process.

Have fun!

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

I did something similar once!

What I did was I had three little pumpkins and a big one. The big one had a wicked evil teeth-type face. One of the little pumpkins, I carved "X"'s for eyes and a sticking-out-dead tongue. And I carved a bite-shaped chunk out of the side of it.

I put the chunk in the mouth of the big one. Then I carved two worried-looking faces into the other two pumpkins and put them edging away from the big one.