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  • 8 min read
  • 20.01.2025

Marvellous Mangelwurzels: All You Need To Know

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Isn’t mangelwurzel a wonderful word? It is almost worth growing this spectacular vegetable just to say: “I am harvesting my mangelwurzels today!” There is far more to this remarkable vegetable, however, than just a gorgeous name. 

What is a Mangelwurzel?

The mangelwurzel or mangold (Beta vulgaris) is commonly known as fodder beet, because it has been used as livestock feed in farming for centuries. This is one reason why mangelwurzels fell out of favour as a culinary vegetable, being seen as a peasant crop, and known as a scarcity root, because people would only eat it when other vegetables were in short supply. This is a shame, and it is about time everyone tried growing this remarkable, easy to grow and productive vegetable. 

When I first started trying to track down seeds almost forty years ago, it was impossible to find any in the usual home gardener seed catalogues. It took me over a decade to eventually find some mangold seeds for sale and start growing them in my home garden, around 27 years ago. 

My quest for the elusive mangelwurzel was inspired by the discovery of three mangold wine recipes in a home-brew book bought second hand in a charity shop. First published in 1955, “Homemade Country Wines” compiled by Dorothy Wise, was a marvellous discovery for an 18 year old: how to make home brew wines using fruit, vegetables, flowers and herbs. I reasoned that if there were three different recipes for wine made from this root vegetable, then it had to be worth making.

I was delighted to discover that the wine is fantastic (the recipe is below). I leave it to mature for a year before drinking. It is flavourful, not too sweet and needs to be drunk in moderation – otherwise you are likely to become “mangelwurzelled”. 
Mangelwurzels are related to sugar beet, beetroot and chard, producing a huge root with abundant chard-like leaves. It is a dual-purpose vegetable: both the root and leaves are edible. Use the leaves and the stems just as you would spinach or chard, they are delicious. 

The roots are juicy and full of flavour, available in a range of colours, including yellow and red. They are especially tender picked small, but the larger roots are delicious too. Use the root in recipes as you would beetroot or swede: boiled, roasted, soups, curries, stews, pickles, ferments, mashed, raw in salads, cut into “mangelwurzel chips”.
The root is tasty boiled, but for extra flavour, I like to dice and roast the peeled mangelwurzel for a caramelised sweetness before using it in curries, soups, etc. 

I have read that the root makes a delicious country beer too, Mangelwurzel Ale, but have not tried this yet. I have a recipe in my old book for a brew using the root and hops, so must give this a go. 

The History of the Mangelwurzel

Before pumpkins became the norm at Hallowe’en for carving lanterns, mangelwurzels were carved and used. In Yorkshire where I grew up, swedes were traditionally used in the same way.

Transforming this glorious root veg into a lantern has its roots in another tradition: Punkie Night, which was celebrated in Somerset on the last Thursday of October. “Punkie” is an old English word for “lantern”. 
After dark, children lit their lanterns and walked the streets singing the Punkie Song:

It’s Punkie Night tonight!

It’s Punkie Night tonight!
Adam and Eve would not believe
It’s Punkie Night tonight!

Give me a candle
Give me a light
If you haven’t got a candle
A penny’s alright!

A variant of the last line is “You’ll get a fright”, which is reminiscent of the “Mischief night” traditions in the north of England and Hallowe’en trick or treating. 

Famous Wurzels

The book character Wurzel Gummidge got his name from mangelwurzels, and also had a mangelwurzel as one of his three interchangeable heads in the TV series (with John Pertwee): mangelwurzel, swede and turnip. In the original books, written by Barbara Euphan Todd, Wurzel was married to Earthy Mangold (ie: Earthy Mangelwurzel).

The West Country group “The Wurzels”, an English ‘Scrumpy and Western’ band from Somerset, are named after the mangelwurzel. (The genre ‘Scrumpy and Western’ is named after one of the band’s records.)

How to Grow Mangelwurzels

Although mangelwurzels can be sown directly (2cm deep, 30cm apart), I always start them off in module trays and then plant them out so that they are less likely to be eaten by pests, including slugs and sparrows, which adore young mangelwurzel leaves.

I sow one seed per 3cm or 4cm module, filled with peat-free compost, undercover (greenhouse, polytunnel, cold frame) from mid-February to May. Earlier sowings produce larger harvests in the autumn.

They can take two weeks or more to germinate, so be patient. Once the transplants are around 6-8cm tall, plant out using a dibber 30cm apart and water in.

Once established, mangelwurzels are very resilient and, as long as they are kept weed-free, can be more or less left to grow. Water during dry periods and mulch if you live in an area with free-draining soil or hot summers because they need moisture to produce large roots.

Harvest from the autumn onwards. Hard frosts can damage the roots so it is best to gather in before deep winter cold. Leave damaged or frosted leaves on the soil’s surface after harvesting as a chop and drop mulch to protect the soil over winter.

Shop Mangelwurzel seeds HERE.

About me:


Known for her practical, enthusiastic and down to earth approach, Stephanie runs homesteading and gardening courses and webinars from her homestead and internationally, with regular updates from the plot on You Tube and Instagram. In 2021 Stephanie moved to rural Wales where she is creating a new homestead on a tight budget, on just under half an acre. This was filmed by the BBC for Gardeners’ World in 2022. The author of two books, she is currently working on her third book. 

For more information about visit: www.NoDigHome.com
Talks, workshops and courses: https://nodighome.com/talks-workshops/

You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/@stephaniehaffertyhomesteading

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephaniehafferty/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063649418367


harvesting mangelwurzels
Meet the author
Stephanie

Stephanie Hafferty is an expert edible gardener, homesteader, garden designer, consultant, speaker and award winning garden and food writer. She specialises in growing food year round, affordably, using sustainable methods, and creating recipes for nutritious meals, as well as home and body care products. With decades of practical gardening and homesteading experience, she has created and worked in organic kitchen gardens on private estates, community gardens, market gardens and for restaurants, as well as in home plots and allotments.

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