Turning a Rutabaga on a Lathe-Discussion and Photos

Ok World,

You've seen it here first: how to turn a rutabaga on a lathe.

Discussion

My husband has been wanting to try unusual vegetables that we ordinarily don't eat. We had some beets the other day (which I baked and turned into a salad) and while I was grocery shopping yesterday I picked up a rutabaga:

These are big, heavy root vegetables that come sealed in wax. Hmm...this looks like a meteor from outer space. Anyway, it needs to be peeled before cooking. As my hands are still hurting from the spoon I carved last week, I decided rather than trying to peel it, I would put it on the lathe and turn off the waxy outer coating and peel.

So I put it between centers, started the lathe up and off we went:

Here we are about 5 seconds into the turning. The outer covering is coming off nicely:

Here's a photo of the turning waste:

And here is a photo of the whole thing. Total turning time: 30 seconds:

I'm going to chop it in chunks, coat it with olive oil and sprinkle some salt and pepper on it and bake it for about an hour. I'll let you know how it works out.

Another triumph for Selkie Wood Works!

VW