In the spirit of the old Irish and Scottish tradition of carving turnip lanterns to ward off evil spirits, today, I thought it would be fun to tackle this twist on the pumpkin Jack O’ Lanterns that I grew up with as a child. And since my sweet sister is here on holiday, what better way for two sisters to have a little Halloween giggle than by having some turnip carving fun!
Here’s what you do.
Step 1: Decide how you want your turnip to be oriented. Which end would make the best top and bottom? Which sides do you want to make the front and back? Are there any scars, warty, or hairy spots that could give character to your Jack O’ Lantern’s face?
Step 2: With a sharp knife, cut a small amount off of the bottom of the turnip so that it creates a flat base.
Step 3: Slice off the top of the turnip, leaving plenty of room to carve the face. Save the lid.
Step 4: Use your knife to score around the inside edge to loosen up the meat of the turnip.
Step 5: Use a spoon, melon baller, ice cream scooper, or any other implement to scoop out the inside of the turnip. You will find that this step requires a bit of effort, but the result will be so worth it.
Step 6: Draw a face on your turnip with a pencil.
Step 7: Use a small kitchen or crafter’s knife to carve out the face.
Step 8: Light a tea light and enjoy your unique Halloween creation!
Cheers!
Cute and clever!
This root vegetable is a great example of how Americans and the British are divided by a common language: rutabaga in America, swede in England, and neep in Scotland. The smaller white turnip is still a turnip to all of us. 🎃
Yes, very good point! Happy Halloween! 🙂
Wow. Kudos to you for carving a turnip, I can hardly peel them and cut them for cooking 🙂
Well, I won’t say it was easy but the outcome was worth it. 🙂
I love the idea of Halloween turnips!
I did too! I thought they turned out really cute.
These turnip jack o’lanterns are so cute. I have only ever seen pumpkin jack o’lanterns. Thanks!
Same here. As soon as I learned about the tradition I knew I’d have to try it. 🙂
They look great! I am always worried about trying to carve a pumpkin or turnip. I’m convinced I would end up slicing a finger. Happy Halloween. 🙂 😈🎃
Honestly, I was too. That’s why I wore a thick glove while I did the cutting on the turnip bottom and top. Those suckers are hard! Happy Halloween to you too! 😀