The dying art of swede carving

[MildGreenDairyLiquid]

A lot is said about traditional crafts dying out - thatching, stonemasonry, stained glass. But what about swede carving?

I’m pretty sure I didn’t see a pumpkin in this country until I was 35.

Before that it was the humble swede, now cruelly forgotten.

Tastes nicer too.

We were talking about this in work yesterday as one of my time was carving them for an event. Apparently a good strong apple corer is what you need these days! 😂

We were just talking about this last night!
I remember the first time carving a pumpkin for DD and, being of the swede era, was expecting a fight and wasn’t looking forward to it.

Dear god, the revelation as I took the top off and realised just how PISS EASY this was going to be!!

Halloween was ‘Narkie Night’ when I was young in the North East. Turnips were narkies we never called them swedes. We used to go narkie picking in the October half term holiday for the local farmers. We used old kitchen knives to carve the insides out, our hands were red raw by the end of it. My Mam helped all three of us siblings carve them sometimes. What a woman! I also loved the smell of the burning turnip from a stub of an old candle. We used to hang them up on the backyard wall still lit up when we went to bed.I think I have posted about this before so apologies if I am repeating myself.

Sorry this really made me laugh! I sometimes have trouble mashing swede when it's cooked, let alone carving one raw! 😂

I'm north east and never heard that term?

Mashed swede with loads of butter and pepper...yummy! Before tealights we had nightlights-- slighly larger, standing in a saucer of water by my bed at grandma's. No electricity, only gas lighting downstairs.

Yes, and only ever one swede, because of a) the sin of excess b) the immense time taken to hack away at them and c) risk to life or limb.**

I have gradually notched up the number of pumpkins I buy each year, while guiltily sensing my dad spinning in his grave.

I did it once as a child, it's incredibly hard work. I'd call it a turnip tho.

We still do it in our house! We've got pumpkins, too, but there will be two very proud turnips with a candle inside on my mantle come Halloween night. 😁 I've managed to teach DH how to do it, too, which is fun. He's come a long way in ten years. 🤣

Wow, I was just telling my husband about this. I thought it was something strange only my family did!

I used to make them as a child. Up North we called them turnip lanterns.

A huge amount of effort and really stink when you light the candle inside.

We had swede lanterns too when I was a kid (I'm 54). I think my dad carved them.

Yep, dad used to do me a turnip lantern every Hallowe’en, and I used to like eating the raw turnip.

I can still smell the singed lid, and remember picking the melted wax off my duffel coat after going around the neighbours’ houses saying ‘penny for Hallowe’en’.

It always felt a bit spooky, and if it was windy we used to say witches were flying around the chimney. Loved it.

I was well in to adulthood before I saw a pumpkin too.

My kids think it's hilarious we carved turnips.

Thank goodness we don't do that now. I'd probably only have 2 fingers left. All power to my mum and dad.

No ,cut of the top keep it for a lid ,scoop out with a spoon and get sair hands,carve out ,eyes,nose , mouth,drip in candle wax , insert stub of a candle,string through the sides ,lid back on .. equals a neepy lantern..Ne Scotland style ala 1970s.

Then a screwdriver through the sides for the bastard string!

Clapshot with every meal for days after...

We have a few neepie lanterns in houses near us.

turnip lanterns didn’t go mushy for weeks but equally took ages to hollow out. Carved huge squares then dug them out, Loved the burned turnip smell

Wish I'd thought of that

My mother made us use teaspoons and a butter knife in the 1960s - it used to take a whole day!

Love the smell of singed swede! Not so keen on hollowing out something made of concrete.

I'm 49. Always carved a swede as a kid. Last carved one aged 19 at uni. Then was too cool to carve for a few years

So pumpkins appeared on the scene sometimes after 1994 in the UK

You can even go neeps picking this year, proceeds go to charity:
https://www.scottishretailfoodanddrinkawards.com/lidl-neep-picking-patch/#:~:text='The%20Lidl%20Neep%20Patch'%20is,patch%20at%20Chatelherault%20Country%20Park.

This is why I am on MN. Bless you, OP.

My Grampa used to carve turnips for us at Halloween, they were way too tough for us to do! It wasn't until I was a bit older, probably late 80's/early 90's that I got my hands on an actual pumpkin. We went to stay with family who lived next door to a farm where they grew them and I got to take as many as I liked! That was a great year, I had such a fun time carving tonnes of pumpkins with my dad!

I do still have a fondness for the little turnip lanterns but I'd much rather eat them then spend hours trying to carve them and I'm fairly certain my kids would think I was some kind of weirdo if I suggested turnips instead of pumpkins!

Did a neep lantern last night just to smell that smell again... About needed a lie down and a shower after. Imagine doing 4!