No, it's a mangel beet also known as a manglewurzel.
Manglewurzel or mangold wurzel (from the German Mangel/Mangold," chard" and wurzel, "root") also called mangold, mamgel beet, field beet and fodder beet is a cultivated root vegetable from Beta vulgaris. It's large orange/yellow roots were developed in the 18th Century as a fodder crop for feeding livestock.
There's a Mangle Beet tradition in England. Who can forget the famous childrens book and tv series "Worzel Gummidge". His head was made from a mangle beet or manglewurzel .
Then there were "The Wurzels". And just in case you haven't come across them you can find them on Youtube. I think a photo is more than enough without having to listen to them as well.
We've been growing these odd shaped root vegetables on and off for a few years now. We originally bought the seeds in New Zealand, in 2006. The seeds have been viable since then. But I sowed the last of them this year. The beets have never flowered so there hasn't been the opportunity to collect more seed.
There's a Mangle Beet tradition in England. Who can forget the famous childrens book and tv series "Worzel Gummidge". His head was made from a mangle beet or manglewurzel .
Then there were "The Wurzels". And just in case you haven't come across them you can find them on Youtube. I think a photo is more than enough without having to listen to them as well.
There is also a fine tradition of mangold hurling in parts of England (I kid you not) We would probably do it with neeps up here . A history of mangold hurling can be found here
We've been growing these odd shaped root vegetables on and off for a few years now. We originally bought the seeds in New Zealand, in 2006. The seeds have been viable since then. But I sowed the last of them this year. The beets have never flowered so there hasn't been the opportunity to collect more seed.
I thought that this would be a good winter crop for the hens. But they turned up their beaks at it. That's the trouble with having posh (and spoilt) hens, they expect the finer things in life...
So what else have we done with them?
We put them in soup. It is advised that if you are going to eat them you do it when they are young, sweet and not more than 5 lbs in weight (like ours!). The leaves can be steamed like chard.
We put them in soup. It is advised that if you are going to eat them you do it when they are young, sweet and not more than 5 lbs in weight (like ours!). The leaves can be steamed like chard.
We've still got several roots in the ground so I've been looking for some recipes. They seem to be few and far between...
Pickled Manglewurzel.
Wash the manglewurzel and place in a stew-pan with boiling water and cook until tender (allow about an inch of top to remain when preparing to cook). Skin the mangelwurzel, slice and pour over the following, which has been heated in a stew-pan over the fire. One cup of vinegar and water combined, one tablespoonful of sugar, one teaspoonful of salt, a dust of pepper. Stand aside till cold then serve. Or serve hot like buttered beets.
Wash the manglewurzel and place in a stew-pan with boiling water and cook until tender (allow about an inch of top to remain when preparing to cook). Skin the mangelwurzel, slice and pour over the following, which has been heated in a stew-pan over the fire. One cup of vinegar and water combined, one tablespoonful of sugar, one teaspoonful of salt, a dust of pepper. Stand aside till cold then serve. Or serve hot like buttered beets.
The 1830 book "The Practice of Cookery" includes a recipe for a beer made with mangelwurzel. I found a more up to date one at the following link
If anyone else has come across mangle beets and doesn't use them just for fodder (or hurling), I would love to hear from you.
If anyone else has come across mangle beets and doesn't use them just for fodder (or hurling), I would love to hear from you.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteWell, learn something new every day! Never even heard of them, but boy do they sound strange, and seemingly good only for animal fodder!
Worzel Gummidge... He used to freak me out as a child and I didn't like watching it (even seeing the photo is bringing back the feeling of dread). Didn't his head come off and stuff?? Well, to a child that'd pretty scary! I guess I must've seen repeats of it because I just looked online and found out it stopped in 81 and I wasn't yet born.
However I am more than happy to sing along to the combine harvester! lol
P confirms that Worzel Gummidge was scary. I never really watched it. If you weren't born until after 81 Liz, you can't remember the Wurzels either. I wish I could forget...
ReplyDeleteI loved Worzel Gummidge! Funny, I always thought a Manglewurzel was a type of pumpkin. Thank you for enlightening me.
ReplyDeleteI have never seen seed for sale but it looks as though one plant would last for meals all winter.
ReplyDeleteLove this post - I adored Worzel Gummidge when I was little - I often think I've got my silly head on and such like. Jon Pertwee was a brilliant Dr Who (my Dr Who)and a great comic actor. Love the mangel wurzel too - I've heard of them but never one. Can I just forget the Wurzels though, my younger brother loved them and played 'I've got a brand new combine harvester' over and over again until we cried.
ReplyDeleteI always just thought 'worzel' was a made up funny word, so learnt something new, my children loved Worzel Gummidge, I like Jon Pertwee and have recently been enjoying him and the rest of the gang in the Navy Lark via radio 4 extra,
ReplyDeleteso is this what I forever hear people on radio scotland going on about their 'neeps and tatties'
Frances
Thanks for the actor ID, Island Threads. How far you have fallen from Dr. Who, Jon Pertwee.
ReplyDeleteNever heard of this root. Seems like the sort of thing one would find listed as an ingredient in a 15th century cookery.
I hadn't realised humans can eat them!
ReplyDeleteWurzel Gummidge ... I loved the books as a child - though found them difficult to understand. I think I thought the names were so good, it didn't matter whether or not I could follow the story. Disliked the acted out version on television. Tried to read the books as an adult and found them incredibly boring. Funny how one's tastes change.
I'd be surprised if I developed a taste for fodder beet. Not surprised the chickens didn't like them. Would have thought they'd need shock absorbers in their beaks in order to peck.
What an interesting post! I've never heard of manglewurzel before, or the tv/book series either (don't live in England). So curious to look these up on youtube now.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting post, reminds me of when we used to visit my parents when the children were little and they insisted we brought home some of their huge swedes, tried telling them that we didn't like them, but they wouldn't listen. Everytime I wondered what on earth to do with them, could have done with your recipes 40 yrs ago !
ReplyDeleteHands off The Wurzels though, you can still hear the strains of their songs down here in Devon whenever there is a village do !
I don't think we're going to see manglbeet in the supermarkets anytime soon. But yiu never know if the going gets really tough..
ReplyDeleteJon Pertwee was my Dr Who too although we didn't have a TV (P says I was deprived!) and I had to watch it at a friends.
Bumble Lush, I not quite sure what you'll make of Worzel Gummidge and the Wurzels. A bit of an aquired taste perhaps..except if you live in Devon..
What a brute beast of a root. What did it taste like?
ReplyDeleteIt is a bit big, Catherine. It tastes a bit like a turnip.
ReplyDeleteThat is the strangest thing. Bet it tastes good in butter.
ReplyDeleteSomewhere in a Dorothy Sayers novel, Peter Wimsey refers to another character fondly as "you old manglewurzel." I've liked them vicariously since then, because they sounded so friendly. Now that I've seen one, though... Pickled could be pretty good; beer--hmm.
ReplyDelete