Great pieces to aid in your Spring decorating – inside and outside!
Do you have the perfect plant that would love a crock for its home? Maybe you have a wonderful collection that would look great in a fruit crate. Stop in and see what inspiration you might find browsing our shop.
stoneware crocks and urn with spigot
What Are Stoneware Jugs Used For?
Before the advent of refrigeration, crocks were used in American kitchens to hold foodstuffs such as butter, salted meats and pickled vegetables. The crocks were invariably made of stoneware, a durable, economical ceramic that remains water-tight, even without a glaze.
The word “pickle” comes from a Dutch word ‘pekel’ or northern German ‘pókel’ meaning “salt” or “brine,” two components that are essential in the pickling process. Pickling in America is largely synonymous with the act of submerging cucumbers (or other fruits or vegetables) into a salty brine or acidic solution along with various spices to create an environment where no unhealthy bacteria can survive and your vegetable is preserved.
Stoneware crocks were used for pickling and fermenting foods for centuries! The process also gives you an easy and effortless way to make probiotic-rich fermented foods a part of your life. And if you remember pickles or sauerkraut from your grandmother’s pantry, you probably remember the flavor being much more complex and tasty than those you buy in a jar today.
Historically, the process of pickling was a necessity and an invaluable way to preserve foods for sailors and travelers. It provided families with food through the colder months.
If you’re interested in an easy-to-read introduction to pickling/fermenting,CLICK HERE for a great blog post and answers to the many questions you might have. And one more site that may be of interest in choosing and caring for a crock, CLICK HERE.
More stoneware crocks and jugs available at Bahoukas Antique Mall
But maybe you just love, love, love these old crocks and jugs. Visit this pagefor photos of great ways to decorate with crock pots – 36 ways, in fact.
Maybe you’ve found a container that you’d like to make it ‘look’ like an old crock. Here’s a great do-it-yourself solution.
So, as you can see, we have the crocks and jugs. You can decide which ones you like and how you might use them. Stop in soon and choose your favorites. Yep, we’ll be watchin’ for ya!
On a Friday it just seems like a perfect time to show this picture of a pottery jug and a copper still.
In the picture, it’s a 2 gal. jug. But we have many sizes available. So stop by and see if we can find the size you’re looking for!
Interestingly, there are plenty of questions regarding owning an old copper still. Of course, how you use it is the main issue. If you use it to distill water or for decoration, well, you can have one. If you’re going to actually distill alcohol, well, that’s another matter. You’ll have federal, state and local permitting to consider. CLICK HERE for an article from 2015 that will at least make you think long and hard before creating your own ‘moonshine’!
Stop in soon. We’re still allowed to ‘talk about it!”
