Pumpkin seeds!
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MaC
Moderator
Turnips: how Britain fell out of love with the much-maligned vegetable
Thérèse Coffey’s recent suggestion that Brits eat turnips instead of tomatoes during food shortages was mocked – but the turnip hasn’t always been so unpopular, as a food historian explains.
theconversation.com
Apparently the old English word for the turnip, (the big yellow thing) was a neep
while the little one was a turnep.
Nice65
Explorer
What I find hard to believe is that 22 people have written turnip reviews.
BorderReiver
Moderator
We always called them neeps when I were a lad.Turnips: how Britain fell out of love with the much-maligned vegetable
Thérèse Coffey’s recent suggestion that Brits eat turnips instead of tomatoes during food shortages was mocked – but the turnip hasn’t always been so unpopular, as a food historian explains.
Apparently the old English word for the turnip, (the big yellow thing) was a neep
MaC
Moderator
My English cousin is seventy years later still trying to chase down a genuine Co pie.
He's had a lot of fun trying every single Scotch pie we can find for him though.
He reckons Tunnock's (of teacake and caramel wafer fame) come closest.
I think the ones he ate as a child at Granny's in High Blantyre were locally made, and Uddingston's just across the river.
But from Aberdeen to Hawick, he's tried every butcher shop that he's passed that makes a Scotch pie.
I know he's had fun doing this research though
In the end I found him a recipe, he thinks it's the mace that makes the difference.
You might find the same fun trying to find your peppery pasty ?
He's had a lot of fun trying every single Scotch pie we can find for him though.
He reckons Tunnock's (of teacake and caramel wafer fame) come closest.
I think the ones he ate as a child at Granny's in High Blantyre were locally made, and Uddingston's just across the river.
But from Aberdeen to Hawick, he's tried every butcher shop that he's passed that makes a Scotch pie.
I know he's had fun doing this research though
In the end I found him a recipe, he thinks it's the mace that makes the difference.
You might find the same fun trying to find your peppery pasty ?
Saint-Just
Administrator
We feed neeps to cattle. Ribeye is my favourite type of neep byproduct.
More seriously rutabaga was completely bypassed by my parents’ generation because they were associated with food shortages during the war. Hence if there is a way to turn them into something even vaguely acceptable to a normal palate I know not of it. Even in soups, and that from someone who thinks turnips (navets) are as much a staple to vegetable soup as leeks or carrots.
More seriously rutabaga was completely bypassed by my parents’ generation because they were associated with food shortages during the war. Hence if there is a way to turn them into something even vaguely acceptable to a normal palate I know not of it. Even in soups, and that from someone who thinks turnips (navets) are as much a staple to vegetable soup as leeks or carrots.
MaC
Moderator
I don't put turnip in soup; it overwhelms, but then I use the big yellow ones.
Turnips are lovely just mashed and served with butter and fresh black pepper, or a bit of shredded parsley.
They are really good roasted, and they're good in curry.
If you mix mashed potatoes and mashed turnip together, add a bit of curry powder and mix well. Add some cornflour and a beaten egg.
Mould into wee balls and deep fry. (I use one of the smallest sized ice cream scoop things, but spoons will do)
Those are really tasty with a raita type dip.
Neeps, easy food.
Little navets I buy very rarely, they're not common around here. I think of them as like big radishes.
Good in a vegetable stew
Turnips are lovely just mashed and served with butter and fresh black pepper, or a bit of shredded parsley.
They are really good roasted, and they're good in curry.
If you mix mashed potatoes and mashed turnip together, add a bit of curry powder and mix well. Add some cornflour and a beaten egg.
Mould into wee balls and deep fry. (I use one of the smallest sized ice cream scoop things, but spoons will do)
Those are really tasty with a raita type dip.
Neeps, easy food.
Little navets I buy very rarely, they're not common around here. I think of them as like big radishes.
Good in a vegetable stew
bushwacker
VIP Member
Dont get on to Parsnips, I taught a group of french girl guides about foraging once. They loved ransoms but none of them had ever tasted or knew what a parsnip was
MaC
Moderator
Parsnips and coriander (the leaf, cilantro the Americans call it) are horrible tasting to me.
Apparently those with the OR6A2 receptor gene variant taste those plants as soapy.
Himself likes parsnips, I certainly don't, and fresh coriander is totally off putting in a meal.
Just been to the co op. Looked at soups and got a tin of "spicy parsnip" soup, don't know what that will be like. It claimed to be on a price reduction...some of the other ones were about two quid a tin! For soup!!
Make your own you lazy oik!
To determine what’s a swede and what’s a turnip I would quite happily go by main seed supplier.
Interesting to see they have a combo of both!
I eat neither.
I do recall my m-in-law growing 60 swedes on a previous allotment we shared. No one in my family likes them and and only one in her house did. That’s a lot of swede for one person to get through!
Heirloom Turnip varieties to buy in the UK from Real Seeds
Our selected Turnip seeds are easy to grow and really nice pulled young as sweet tender baby turnips. They also keep well overwinter.
www.realseeds.co.uk
Interesting to see they have a combo of both!
I eat neither.
I do recall my m-in-law growing 60 swedes on a previous allotment we shared. No one in my family likes them and and only one in her house did. That’s a lot of swede for one person to get through!
MaC
Moderator
I think the price of canned soup is utterly ridiculous. More so since most who buy it are those who live alone or elderly. The very people to whom a potfull is way too much.
I make soup, but I 'can' as in put it into Kilner jars and seal properly, the extra, so it's sort of portion sized and it's at hand when wanted.
I do like Campbell's concentrated mushroom and tomato soups, which used to be 49p a can. They're now 95p.
To hang with that.
MaC
Moderator
It sure is. I feed three of us, and I only buy one every three weeks or so, less in Summer. Maybe a dozen a year.
I like variety, and seasonality in our diet.
Beachlover
Moderator
I have a row, now half a row, of Golden Ball turnips from Kings Seeds after Marc recommended them, the turnips not the seed supplier. God alone knows what I’m going to do with them as the freezers are full and there’s only so much stew I can eat.
As Marc commented, they are nice roasted too, but again I have my limits and no-one else likes them unless they’re disguised.
As Marc commented, they are nice roasted too, but again I have my limits and no-one else likes them unless they’re disguised.
MaC
Moderator
Curry works
Tell you though; it makes for some definite trumpet voluntaries in the loo !
Saint-Just
Administrator
I'd buy them from you
Beachlover
Moderator
I’ll take a look at them on Monday and get some pics. If you want some they’re yours and no nonsense about buying them either.I'd buy them from you
Beachlover
Moderator
I'd buy them from you
Went to the allotment yesterday in the pouring rain to get some peace and randomly pulled this pair up. They all seem to be between 2 1/2” and 4” in diameter. The larger one got quartered and roasted with a chicken. I thought it OK albeit a perhaps a little fibrous. T’other half really liked it. I suspect anything larger may be getting a bit on the woody side.
Pics below with a Tenacious for scale.
If you want some, I’ll pull the smaller ones once the gales and rain have passed and shove them into the post for you Marc. I’ll need a reminder of your address though.
Saint-Just
Administrator
Brilliant! 
And don't worry about sorting the bigger ones out, they'll be great in the soup.
And don't worry about sorting the bigger ones out, they'll be great in the soup.