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.

There was a knack to it. Stab it loads of times in criss-cross patterns, then scrape it out with a spoon. It only takes about 30 hours of concerted effort.

Large potatoes with a fairy cake candle also works a treat 👍

The cheap shop in town sold masks, they had two choices usually, a fluorescent green witch mask or one which looked a bit like Frankenstein. Year in year out that was your lot.

Add a bin bag, turnip and a brush and you were truly evil. I adore Halloween, my favourite season.

We never ate swede in our house as my DM didn't like them. However one year she won a swede in a whist drive (I think it was the prize for coming last!) that happened to be near Halloween. As this was the 80's and pumpkins weren't really a thing here yet - and even if they were there is no way that my DP's would have bought us one - we had a go at carving the bastard swede that would never be eaten. It is a testament to the effort that went into it and the appalling smell when the candle was lit that I still remember it now.

It was years before I actually ate swede and realised that it was rather nice.

Actually this thread has cheered me as I wasn't looking forward to carving DS's pumpkins tomorrow but I now realise it could be worse - they could be bloody swedes!

Aww this brings back memories! 🥰

I had a go a few years ago just to remember the lovely smell of the burning turnip.
It was bloody hard work!

Swedes can fuck off. I'll take a pumpkin over a rutabaga turnip any bloody day. They come hollow you know.saves hours of work.

I never did this as a child, but all power to anyone who can carve a swede.

I love them roasted with roast potatoes

My poor mum used to carve them. Nothing fancy, just enough space for a stub of candle. You never forget the smell.

My kids are amazed when I tell them pumpkins just weren't a thing.

I remember the Hallowe'en masks - we used to call them False Faces

How thick does the shell need to be?

It's more how thick can you get away with

And how much swede you want in your mash, obviously.

I've got it down to about 1cm thick but it's not massive! If it was a huge swede it would've taken all day!

Ditto the effort, the smell of charred lid, the dangers... 70's childhood.

These days I don't think A&E has the infrastructure for so many knife slippage wounds... 🩸

We were very poor and couldn't afford a swede - we had to carve a conker. That's quite tricky too (and the squirrels used to pinch them).

A conker? You were posh. I could only draw a shape of a carved swede with my breath on the window. That's the one window that wasn't cracked.