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

[papersky.livejournal.com]

A swede/rutabaga. The little ones are too little.

You slice off the top (to make the lid) and then hollow out the inside, usually with a little sharp knife, but I suppose a grapefruit spoon might work, though they're pretty hard.

It's nice to see you observing traditional customs this way!

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

I've done this with hard gourds, and I found a mellon baller helpful for gut-scooping. I'm not sure that a turnip has guts per se, though, so you might try cutting a cone-shaped piece out and then scooping with the melon baller or grapefruit spoon.

[whuffle.livejournal.com]

I second the previous folks: the smaller purple turnips turn soft too easily. Go for the larger yellows instead. As for how to get hollow, try the mellow baller idea.

[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!

[happybat.livejournal.com]

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!

[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.

[papersky.livejournal.com]

It's a lovely smell!

Rutabagas are really, really tough

[dakiwiboid.livejournal.com]

But the result would not only look better, it'd be more traditional. You'll need a very, very sharp knife (or maybe a wood-working chisel) and lots of patience. I often lose heart even cutting one up, if my knife isn't sharp enough. I actually have to start with a cleaver.

Re: Rutabagas are really, really tough

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

This is where I just LOVE my Wusthof-Trident knives. I can dice a rutabega. It takes hand-strength, and using my weight on it, but my knives are sharp and tough enough that they don't even slip or skid on rutabegas, which gives me a heck of a lot more confidence and safety than I would otherwise have.

Re: Rutabagas are really, really tough

[dakiwiboid.livejournal.com]

I guess they don't coat rutabagas with wax in your area. Ours come covered with a thick coat of the stuff. Until that's dealt with, they're knife hell. I do have Wusties as well, but they don't care for ruta-wax.

[brooksmoses]

Obviously, the state of the art is Power Tools. I'd say one of these bits, probably something around the 5/8" size with single-cut blades, in an angle-head die grinder, would make quick work of hollowing out your turnip.

Alternately, if you don't really want the state of the art that badly, a set of yard-sale-grade wood-carving chisels would probably work well. The ones that have J-hook-shaped ends for carving out holes would likely be particularly useful.

[fuzcat.livejournal.com]

(snicker) I seem to remember finding my dremel very useful last Halloween.

I've never done turnips, but I'd love to see pictures once you have them done.

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

The other purpose of this was to keep the insides of the turnip to eat . . . I'm happy to remove the insides in chunks, but I think a fine turnipy mist would be a bit too extreme for what I want.

[fuzcat.livejournal.com]

Just think soup stock. ;)

[ailbhe]

I was definitely going to suggest power tools. I've spent way too long carving effing turnips to waste any more time on it than necessary.

Use a really, really sharp knife. As sharp as you can manage. A razorblade on a handle, even.

And set aside plenty of time.

Here's a knife-only idea...

[nesher.livejournal.com]

Ok, so I've never attempted anything like this, but here's an idea that my engineering brain came up with for hollowing the thing out and still having edible scraps. Start, as many folks suggested, by cutting a cone to the desired depth. Then run the knife vertically around the rim of the cone, cutting the sides of a cylinder. Next, insert the knife at an angle through the side of the cone, so the cut intersects the bottom of the cylinder cut. This should leave you with a hollowed out cylinder with a ridge ring around the bottom. From here, I suspect some careful slicing with a small paring knife should be able to clear out the bottom.

Hope this helps...

[candle-light.livejournal.com]

Thanks for posting about this. I'm finding the comments really useful since my 8 year wants to do exactly this. If he wasn't so well-read I wouldn't be in this predicament! :-)