Mangelwurzels????

[Nobbyman]

Help needed!!!

I've sown a pack of mangel seeds this time for the first year!! But I don't known anything about them!!

All ideas regarding cultivation and culinary advice would be most appreciated!!

Nobbs xx ???  :P

[Nobbyman]

[Toadspawn]

Not certain what you are going to do with them. When I used to help on a farm many years ago they were always grown for animal fodder. They still are in some places. Never heard of anyone eating them as a veg.  However, presume they can be boiled and mashed like swedes or turnips. It is possible to make a very potent wine from them.  The seed was drilled in rows about 18" apart and after the seedlings had established they were thinned  using a hoe to about 6-12" apart in the rows. They were usually harvested in late autumn and put in a clamp as protection against frost. They are related to sugar beet and ordinary beetroot and chard.

[Baccy Man]

Best use is mangel wurzel beer recipe here:
http://companiontotheoldfoodie.blogspot.com/2006/06/mrs-dalgairns-1840.html

You can harvest the leaves to use a a vegetable it's best to stick to the younger leaves as the older ones are quite tough. The root can be used in the same way you would a turnip if you don't use them for making beer.
They grow best in heavily manured well drained soil & like lots of water.
I find the yellow varieties are smaller & don't normally grow more tham about 10lb the orange & red ones can weigh twice that & can be a pain to lift out of the ground.

Somewhere on google books there is a downloadable pdf file of an essay called " On the history, cultivation, composition, and feeding properties of mangold wurzel" by John Tynan written in 1858 but still useful if you can find it.

[Dadnlad]

Tahks for this question and replies you lot ;D  -  we bought some mangelwurzel seed from the plot shop and sowed a 15ft row a couple of weekends ago. Noticed tonight that they were through and was looking for just this info on thinning - cheers ;D
Oh, we're supposed to be growing them for wine, as old Ted down the plot reckoned it was the strongest he ever made 8)

[ACE]

We used to nick them from the fields when they where turnip sized, any bigger and they were rather woody. Then they were mashed up with bran for the fowls. Would never have used them for wine. (girly drink) . Know better know