Turnips/swede are synonymous with Halloween in Scotland so I thought I’d make this turnip jam to celebrate this spooky night.
Today is a BBC Radio Scotland day and we are celebrating Halloween in Scotland, which means turnips (or neeps) not pumpkins.
Well, it used to when I was a child. Nowadays all the supermarkets fairly groan under the weight of the ubiquitous pumpkin, but way back in the 60s and 70s the humble turnip was the star of the show.
Turnip lanterns
The whole Jack O’lantern legend goes way back in time and traces its roots back to Ireland when a sneaky sort called Stingy Jack took on the devil and played games with him over the years.
When he died God wouldn’t have him into heaven and the devil wouldn’t have him in hell but threw a burning coal at him.
So he was destined to live out eternity walking the earth on 31st October with the burning coal which he put inside a hollowed-out turnip so he could see in the dark.
Turnip Jam
One of the recipes I’m sharing today is this quirky yet strangely tasty Turnip Jam. I know, who’d make jam from a turnip, well I just had to try and the results are surprisingly good, especially in a turnip jam tart!
New to preserving? Then don’t panic, I can take you from zero to hero in no time at all.
Just check out these handy articles to get you heading in the right direction fast;
How to make great jam and marmalade
How to make chutney and relish
How to sterilise jars and bottles
So set those pumpkins aside for one year and embrace the humble turnip. Hollow one out and give him a candle, make some turnip jam and pickles (come back tomorrow) and let’s celebrate Halloween with a wee bit of Scottish style!
Looking for more Halloween inspired recipes to try? Then check these out before you go;
All about pumpkins and how to use them
Traditional Scottish treacle scones
Spooky Martini Halloween cocktail
Finally, if you do try this recipe don’t forget to leave a comment/star rating below as I just love to hear from readers. Want more Larder Love? Then follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter and sign up for my newsletter too of course.
Turnip Jam For Halloween
Ingredients
- 500 g turnip
- 200 ml water
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ginger ground ginger
- 5 cloves crushed
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 lemon juice and zest
- 250 g sugar
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Peel and chop the turnip into small pieces and put into a heavy based pan with the water, lemon juice and zest and all spices and salt.
- Bring to the boil then simmer for 20 minutes till turnips are tender.
- Use a potato masher to squich them down in the pan.
- Add the sugar and stir till dissolved.
- Raise the temperature and boil to setting point.
- Spoon into 3 small jars, cover with a waxed disc and pop on the lids.
think I will skip the turnip jam but I will take your challenge and buy a turnip to turn into a Scottish Jack O’Lantern!
Unlike Cathie D, you just made my daughter’s day. She is a turnip aficionado who would cross a 4 lane highway bedecked with traffic to rescue a precious turnip (and then eat it…). I am going to pass this recipe over to her. She will make this unctuous preserve and will revel in it’s simple, honest and most historical delights. Thankyou from Sunny Sidmouth Tasmania for this wonderful post. I really love your blog by the way. You have an adventurous spirit when it comes to preserving food. This recipe almost takes you to Mrs Cropley (Vicar of Dibley) heights in the minds of most people (not me! 😉 ), but unlike Mrs Cropley, you appear to have resisted the addition of vegemite or anchovies thus making this recipe “consumer friendly”. Cheers again for this wonderful creation. I resist Halloween at all costs but this year I am going to carve out a little turnip jack-o-lantern because I can’t resist his rooty charms 🙂
Glad you like this one. Actually it tastes great. I took turnip tarts in to BBC yesterday and Fred and co loved them. Mrs Cropley, well you made me laugh on that one. Vicar Of Dibley one of my true favs. Must dig out those anchovies………
K x
love turnips and ever since i heard about turnip jam on the andy griffith show i have been dieing 2 try it. love this most delish
best recipe .
lol i just was watching andy griffith heard him say turnip jam and looked it up
Hi Rosann
Hahaha love it when my recipe pops up when someone Googles something from the TV.
K
love turnips and ever since i heard about turnip jam on the andy griffith show i have been dieing 2 try it. love this most delish
best recipe .looking forward to more odd jam recipes
Thanks Deborah,
Trawl through my jam recipes, I do like odd flavours and partnerships so you might find some other things to try out.
K x
Trying this for the first time..will post results!!!
What do i pair this with??
ok so i made this..its ok but not the WOW i wanted!!! great with poultry as a chutney.
Sorry not a WOW but at least enjoyable
K x
Swampers Joy was jam made from sweetened turnip puree and fruit. Swampers was the name used for the men in the Bush-camps in the 18 and 1900s. Generally referred to the crew’s doing the skidding and chopping of haul trails. You could have turnip as a veg.,pickle and desert condiment all in the same meal. And they are low calorie.
Hi Allen
Thanks for the historical info, always good to know.
K
I’d like to make this, but am not terribly experienced with jam-making. Is this a keeping sort of jam that will be fine unopened at room temperature for months, or a put it in the fridge and eat it up quickly sort?
Hi Suzie
All my jams keep for up to a year just in the cupboard, only keep them in the fridge once you have opened the jar.
K
LOVE this! It is really good! Can I waterbath it to keep on the shelf?
Hi Stephanie
You don’t need to waterbath any of my jams they are perfectly shelf stable for up to a year. In UK and Europe we don’t do canning.
K
Oh my goodness. I’ve recently found this recipe and I’ve made your jam. I did process it a bit differently, I finely grated the turnip (swede) and I added in a little orange zest too andbut what a fantastic jam. It knocked spots off my swede, orange and rosemary cake which turned out too heavy (I need to work more on that recipe to get something truly edible, lol). A lovely autumn/winter jam. It’s great on hot buttered wholemeal toast.
Hi Rachel
Glad you liked the jam and nice addition of the orange zest.
K